An audio analysis of the assassination attempt against President Donald Trump suggests that as many as three weapons were fired at the rally before the shooter was killed.
CNN published results of forensic analysis conducted by Catalin Grigoras, director of the National Center for Media Forensics at the University of Colorado Denver, and Cole Whitecotton, Senior Professional Research Associate at the same institution.
This report alleged that three shots were fired by “Weapon A,” followed by five shots consistent with “Weapon B.” Weapon A is presumed to have been fired by the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, while Weapon B was most likely a Secret Service sniper who returned fire and killed Crooks.
However, the report also suggested that a possible “Weapon C” emitted a final “acoustic impulse,” which may indicate the presence of a third, previously unknown shooter.
The analysis confirmed that Crooks was between 360 and 393 feet from the podium, corroborating reports that he was on a rooftop approximately 120-130 yards from the former president. Robert Maher, a forensics expert cited by CNN, explained that the sequence of shots followed a “crack-pop” pattern before the arrival of the corresponding muzzle blast sound. He indicated that the time interval between these sounds suggested the shooter was 110 to 120 meters from the microphone, based on the bullet traveling at hypersonic speed between 800 and 1,000 meters per second.
The U.S. Secret Service and other teams responsible for Trump’s protection have faced significant criticism for their actions during the rally. Reports indicate that Crooks was able to establish a sniper position on one of the closest buildings to the former president, which should have been heavily protected.
Reports also indicate that Crooks was noticed by law enforcement up to 30 minutes before the assassination attempt. Local outlet WPXI reported that a suspicious man had been spotted on a roof near the rally at 5:45 p.m., and a photo had been taken of him. However, it wasn’t until nearly half an hour later that Crooks opened fire on Trump and was subsequently killed by a Secret Service sniper team.
The New York Post reported that a local police counter-sniper team was stationed inside the AGR International Inc. factory, the building from which Crooks launched his attack.
“So basically law enforcement let the shooter get on the roof, knew about him being there before Trump got on stage, and then they let him open fire on President Trump and his supporters,” Laura Loomer wrote on X, suggesting that the snipers “need to be charged.”