Donald Trump shooting witness ‘saw sniper crawling onto roof & frantically alerted cops’ before ‘assassination attempt’

A STUNNED eyewitness has described the moment he saw Donald Trump's suspected attempted assassin crawl onto a nearby roof clutching a rifle before opening fire.

The witness claimed that he'd seen a man with a rifle on the roof of a nearby building firing shots at the Trump rally.

"We noticed a guy crawling, you know army, bear crawling up the roof of the building 50ft away from us," he said.

"So we are standing there pointing at the guy crawling up the roof, he had a rifle, we could clearly see he had a rifle."

Speaking to the BBC, he added: "I'm standing there pointing at him for two-three minutes, the secret service is looking at us from the top of the barn - I'm pointing at that roof.

"And next thing you know - five shots rang out."

He confirmed that the shooter was up on the roof for three to four minutes before opening fire.

Pennsylvania State candidate David McCormick has also described the chaos to Fox News after around eight shots appeared to ring out during Trump's rally in the town of Butler, around 30 miles north of Pittsburgh.

Trump was rushed from the stage with blood trailing down his ear after Secret Service agents pushed him to the ground when the "popping" sounds went off.

Video caught the moment apparent gunshots rang out at 6.11pm on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania, close to Pittsburgh in the west of the battleground state.

McCormick claimed another person in the crowd was also injured and that there was a lot of blood on the scene.

He said that it appeared some of the alleged shots came from the left side of the president as he was facing the crowd and that a man behind him was hit.

What we know so far:

• A shooter has opened fire at a Donald Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, killing one, critically injuring two others, and wounding the former president.
•  Gunfire broke out during the Republican frontrunner's speech at around 6.15pm EST on Saturday evening.
•  The shooter was killed by Secret Service agents.
•  The shooter has not been officially identified, but the New York Post has named him as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20.
•  President Joe Biden has condemned the shooting as "sick," and has suspended campaigning for the next two days. He has also shared a phone conversation with Donald Trump.
•  President Trump was rushed to hospital Saturday evening but was later released and has left Pennsylvania.
•  The FBI has confirmed this was an "assassination attempt," but said there was no prior threat.
•  Trump's team has confirmed he will be traveling to Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention next week.

The candidate said others in the crowd quickly rushed around to administer first aid.

He added that he believed it was a small caliber firearm but he could not be certain if there was just one gun or two.

County prosecutors have confirmed that the suspected shooter and one rally attendee are dead, while two others are in a critical condition.

The identities of the wounded haven't been revealed, but a Republican Congressman from Texas has said his nephew was among them.

Rep. Ronny Jackson told Fox News his nephew was standing behind Trump in the "line of fire" and that he got hit in the neck.

"A bullet crossed his neck, and he was bleeding," he said.

Another speaking in a video shared by NTD News' White House correspondent Iris Tao that she had heard a "crack" behind where she was sitting in the bleachers behind the president, where she believed the shot had come from.

Immediately screams were heard from horrified attendees as the former president dropped to the ground.

Another witness claimed that the president had been hit with "shards of glass" from the shattered teleprompter in the side of his face.

One eyewitness told Fox News that Trump appeared to be fine as he was taken from the stage despite the blood on his face.

Another said he asked the Secret Service to "let me get my shoes" before he was taken away.

He raised a fist to his supporters before being led away.

A Trump spokesperson said shortly after that the president was "fine" after the shocking event.

Some in the crowd were heard chanting, "U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A," as Trump was led away.

Another eyewitness told Fox News he heard "seven or eight shots," and that he stood up and tried to film it as his wife ducked and hit the ground.

He added that he saw smoke coming from the gunfire as the shots were fired.

One rally attendee told CNN: "It seemed initially like firecrackers went off, it was very confusing initially, it sounded like it was coming from behind the bleachers.

He added that someone close to him "was shot in the head and killed," while a woman sat by him was also shot and injured.

The eyewitness said the rounds seemed to "come from behind the bleachers," and that while "half the crowd was in shock, the other half at first thought it was a weird joke."

He also said seeing it in real life was like "watching the Zabruda footage," referencing the famous video clip of the JFK assassination in 1963.

It comes just 24 hours before Republicans are due to descend on Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the Republican National Convention.

Security is expected to be even tighter in the wake of Saturday's suspected assassination attempt.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, a Democrat, posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that he and his staff are in contact with security planning coordinators ahead of the RNC.

"We cannot be a country that accepts political violence of any kind—that is not who we are as Americans," he wrote, adding that he was extending his "thoughts" to President Trump and praised first responders.

Organizers of the RNC - which begins on Monday - have confirmed that it is still going ahead, despite Saturday's events.

"President Trump is in my prayers after surviving this assassination attempt," Reince Priebus, Chairman of the MKE 2024 Host Committee, said in a statement.

"We are also heartbroken that reports indicate that at least one innocent person has been killed and perhaps others have been injured. This horrific violence has no place in America."

He added: "Guests have already begun to arrive in Wisconsin, and we look forward to working with the Republican National Committee to welcome everyone to Milwaukee this week."

Another eyewitness, an emergency room doctor in attendance at the rally, has revealed how he performed CPR on a member of the crowd in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.

"I heard the shots. I thought it was firecrackers to begin with," he told CBS News.

The man, who had blood splattered across his white USA shirt, added: "Somebody over there was screaming, 'He's been shot he's been shot,'

"So I made my way over. I said I'm an emergency department physician. Let me help you."

He went on: "The guy had spun around and was jammed between the benches and had a headshot here. There was lots of blood and he had brain matter."

President Biden has addressed the American people from Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, where he is staying for the weekend, condemning the apparent assassination attempt and praising the quick work of the Secret Service.

"There's no place for this kind of violence in America," he said, adding, "It's sick, it's sick."

The President is set to return to the White House ahead of schedule tonight following the shooting.

His team confirmed that he had spoken to the former president following his release from hospital.