NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Nightly News Full Broadcast (July 14th)

Episode Date: July 15, 2024

Witnesses recount the moment gunman fired toward Trump; New details on shooter behind Trump attempted assassination; Victims of attempted assassination at Trump rally identified; and more on tonight��s broadcast.

I'm Tom Yamas in Butler, Pennsylvania, at the site of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. And I'm Hallie Jackson in Washington with President Biden addressing the nation tonight. A special edition of Nightly News starts right now. Tonight, new video of the moment shots were fired. Take a look at what happened. President Trump rushed to safety. New images of the sniper who took out the shooter. But then we heard other shots where we thought that might be the Secret Service.

And new details on the gunman. His photo revealed as police surround his home. He was quiet, like he was bullied so much, so much. The former president on camera showing the world he is okay. Arriving in Milwaukee tonight with the Republican National Convention starting just hours from now as we learn more about his injuries. His ear must have been nipped. New questions tonight about how the shooter got so close. We're like, hey, right here on the roof.

We can see him from right here. We see him. He's crawling. As a community mourns the spectator killed while protecting his family. Corey died a hero. Corey was the very best of us. President Biden speaking to the nation today.

The assassination attempt is contrary to everything we stand for. With an Oval Office address tonight as the assassination attempt upends the race for president. He'll keep fighting and he should. Tonight, the victims, the survivors and the search for a way forward in America. We need to all come together as a human race, you know. We need to help each other out. This is a special edition of NBC Nightly News. The attempted assassination of former President Trump.

Reporting tonight, Hallie Jackson and Tom Yamas. Good evening. It has been a horrific and historic series of events in America. Those shots fired just 24 hours ago. The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, which took place right here just behind me, has shaken this country and sent a reminder that political violence happens all over the world and even right here. The former president was injured, but according to his campaign, he's doing fine. And he's arriving in Milwaukee tonight, saying he will not let the shooter scare him away from the Republican National Convention, which begins tomorrow. And President Biden, for his part, addressing the nation this evening here in Washington from the Oval Office, speaking hours ago about the need to heal the country.

The images from the shooting have now become seared into the American consciousness. Look at this, a bullet zipping past Mr. Trump's head, just barely missing. And the president injured and bloodied, throwing a defiant fist in the air. The American flag just behind him. We have this new image, the gunman on the roof as he takes aim in a sniper position. And the most tragic, we now know who the spectator killed was and how he died protecting his family. We're going to pay tribute to him in a moment. Our team is covering every aspect of this story, but we begin with those minutes of sheer terror. Take a look at what happened.

Tonight, new video and firsthand accounts showing the apparent breakdown in security that led to the frightening assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Take a look at what happened. A picture is emerging of a perimeter that was protected. But just outside of it, 150 yards from where Trump was speaking, an area where a would-be assassin saw a prime opportunity. Eyewitnesses tell us that this field right here, to the right of where former President Trump was speaking, outside that perimeter, was filled with people. People were just walking up.

And that building right there behind me, that's where the alleged assassin was up on the roof. In these photos she shared, Valerie Fennell was standing just below where the gunman started firing. You can see the building in the background. On that roof is where the shooter took his position to try and kill former President Trump. Valerie telling me how the gunman and the Secret Service snipers were exchanging fire directly above her head. I asked a gentleman that was close to me, I said, you know, what's going on? I could tell something. He said, there is somebody on the roof with a backpack and shortly after that is when he started shooting. Valerie also said she saw this gate secured by just zip ties and a woman freely riding around the area outside of that perimeter on a horse with a Trump flag.

The shots ringing out around 6.11 p.m., just minutes into his speech. Trump first grabbing his ear, then taking to the ground before Secret Service agents rush in, completely surrounding him. Mr. Trump's face reappears, blood streaming from his ear and down his face. He lifts a fist in the air, mouthing the words, fight, several times, before being escorted off the stage and into an SUV. 50-year-old Corey Comprator was attending the rally with his family. He was killed in the incident. Two others were gravely injured and are in stable condition.

Dr. Jim Sweetland rushed in to help. Did it hit you at any point, a man's just been shot in the head at a political rally in stable condition. Dr. Jim Sweetland rushed in to help. Did it hit you at any point? A man's just been shot in the head at a political rally in the U.S.? It didn't until I was walking out. It becomes automatic. You know what you want to do. You know what you need to do. The shooter taken out by Secret Service agents, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. His motive is still unclear. President Biden condemning the attempt on Trump's life. There's no place in America for this kind of violence, for any violence ever. Period. With the RNC less than a day away, Mr. Trump leaving for Wisconsin this

afternoon, where later this week he's expected to accept the Republican nomination for president. And new details are coming in tonight about the 20-year-old gunman we just showed you. But what remains a mystery is his motive. Shaq Brewster tonight tracking the investigation. Tonight, a more complete picture of suspected shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks. The shooter may be deceased, but the investigation is very much ongoing. The FBI saying it has no indications of Crooks having any mental health issues. Previously unknown to law enforcement, the 20-year-old was a registered Republican who, according to campaign finance

reports, donated $15 to a Democratic group. The investigation now shifting roughly 50 miles south to Crooks' home in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The county bomb squad telling NBC News they entered his residence overnight. Some close neighbors were evacuated, others shaken by loud sounds. It's a quiet neighborhood and what goes on in everybody's homes, we just don't know. You know, what people are going through in their own life. We just don't know. Two officials telling NBC News that law enforcement found a number of suspicious canisters or containers in the suspect's vehicle near the rally, but say it's unclear if they were functional explosive devices. Thomas Crooks. And we're starting to hear from people who were

familiar with Crooks for years. Former schoolmate Jason Cooler describing the 20-year-old as a loner who was regularly bullied for wearing hunting gear and a surgical mask to class. He would sit alone at lunch. I mean, he was just a outcast and you know how kids are nowadays. So they're going to see someone like that and they're going to target him because they think it's funny or whatever. Authorities still without a clear motive as they attempt to piece together what led to this tragedy. Insane. It's not something like, it's just like, this is where I live. Like, the fact that it's coming out of here is just mind-boggling. Never would have thought that.

Shaq, still an active scene there behind you and the FBI has no shortage of tips already? That's right, Tom. active scene there behind you and the FBI has no shortage of tips already? That's right, Tom. And the FBI is working to put together a timeline of crooks' actions before the shooting and say they already have received more than 2,000 tips. Tom? Shaq Brewster with a lot of new reporting on that would-be assassin. We are learning more tonight about the heartbreaking toll the shooting has taken on this community. The victims just identified, including a firefighter dad who died just trying to keep his family safe. Ardasha Burns has their stories. Take a look at what happened.

Tonight, Pennsylvania State Police releasing the names of three victims shot during the attempted assassination of former President Trump. 57-year-old David Dutch and 74-year-old James Copenhaver, now both in stable condition. 50-year-old Corey Comperatore was killed in the crossfire. Joseph Main was just feet away from Comperatore when the shots rang out. It was rather chaotic at that point because everyone, half the people were looking because they thought it was fireworks. I knew it was gunshots right away. Comperatore was a 30-year veteran firefighter and former chief. He died shielding his wife and daughters. The station now reeling from the loss. It's close to home and then right in our neighborhood we find out that one of our own was taken, his life was taken too early.

That's, it's tough. It's hard to process. Today, the men hanging a symbol of mourning on the firehouse and on his locker, where his uniform still hangs. What's it like to stand here next to his locker where you spent time with him and to see? It's heartbreaking, but it's a true honor being able to speak about how good of a man he was. For people that didn't get the privilege of knowing Corey, what do you want the world to know about him? That they missed out on getting to know a great man, a God-fearing, family-loving man.

He'd do anything for anyone. And that he was a man full of love. Never knew him to hate anything. He truly lost a good one. The rally, a nightmare for so many. And how are you feeling right now? My mama instincts were when he grabbed my hand, I knew my son was scared to death because he was holding my hand. He had held my hand since he was probably five or six years old. Image is impossible to forget. Aaron Ottenreth was in the first row in front of former President Trump. That sharpshooter went across. Trump turned his head. His ear must have been nipped. The chain of events fresh as she recalled them last night.

I feel sad for everybody. You know, I mean, you don't like the guy. Don't vote for him. Don't kill him. We love the guy. We're going to vote for him. And with that, Dasha Burns joins us now live from Butler, Pennsylvania. Dasha, families nationwide really grappling with this fallout. Tom, that's exactly right. It's not just this community feeling the impact. As you well know, people travel to Trump rallies for all over this region. Some people drive for miles, spend all day waiting in line for these events. So the reach of this tragedy does not stop at the borders of Butler County or even the state of Pennsylvania.

Tom. And so many watching on television as well. All right, Dasha Burns, we appreciate that. Hallie, so many looking at those images, those videos, they are seared into our minds. I'm going to send it back to you in Washington. Tom, thank you. This assassination attempt has rocked an already volatile battle for the White House. And it comes as the former president has now apparently landed in Milwaukee, where he is set to take center stage at the Republican convention, which begins tomorrow. Here's Garrett Haik. It's been our only glimpse of former President Trump since the assassination attempt, arriving home last night in New Jersey.

Tonight he's bound for Milwaukee, where the Trump campaign says it's full steam ahead for the Republican convention. With the former president writing he quote, cannot allow a shooter or potential assassin to force change to scheduling or anything else. The former president expected to announce his running mate tomorrow and on Thursday accept the GOP nomination for a third time, all under an unprecedented spotlight and security posture. This is probably one of the most secure areas on the face of the planet right now. In a new memo, the Trump campaign telling employees in D.C. and Palm Beach to stay home today

and says it's adding armed security at its campaign offices. The convention structure will proceed as planned, sources say, but with the shooting's emotional imprint. Those images of Mr. Trump, face bloodied, fist in the air in the moments after the shots were fired, infused into the campaign going forward. This is the toughest guy I think I ever met. The heated rhetoric of both campaigns now under the microscope from both Mr. Trump. The real threat is from the radical left, and it's growing every day, every single day, the threat from within. And President Biden, with Republicans slamming his comments about Mr. Trump, including this just two days ago. Most importantly, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart,

Trump is a threat to this nation. And according to a source on the call telling donors about the fallout from the debate, quote, it's time to put Trump in the bullseye. He's gotten away with doing nothing for the last 10 days. I know that he didn't mean what is being implied there, but that kind of language on either side should be called out. A bipartisan message to both sides. What we need as a nation is not radical rhetoric. Politics should be kind of boring while American voters wait and worry.

I hope the nation as a whole just takes a big, deep breath. Garrett Haik is joining us now. And Garrett, it seems clear that this assassination attempt will shape the tone of this week's convention. That's absolutely right, Hallie. A Republican official tells me they expect any number of speakers to mention it, and it could provide emotional resonance through the week. And with President Biden already condemning political violence, it also provides Republicans an opportunity for a unifying message across the four days of their convention. Hallie. Garrett Haig, thank you. President Biden tonight addressing the nation from the Oval Office. Gabe Gutierrez is at the White House for us tonight.

Gabe. Hallie, the president speaking a short time ago, delivering a rare Oval Office address, calling on Americans to lower the temperature in our politics and to remember that either we may disagree or agree, we are not enemies, we are neighbors. A central theme of the address was unity. But as the president pointed out, that's extremely elusive at this point. This morning, the president met in the Situation Room with Vice President Harris and other top officials. Last night, he spoke with former President Trump by phone, describing the call as, quote, short but good. The president had planned to speak in Texas tomorrow, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, but that trip has now been postponed. So has the vice president's campaign stop in Florida on Tuesday. Hallie?

And join us tomorrow when Lester Holt interviews President Biden exclusively. That airs in full at 9 p.m. Eastern. We're back in a moment with our special coverage and the new questions about the Secret Service. How could a shooter get so close? We're back live from Butler, Pennsylvania. Tonight, there are new questions about security at the former president's rally and how despite secret service protection, a gunman got so close to Mr. Trump. Ken Delaney has that story. Tonight, 24 hours after the alarming assassination attempt on former President Trump, growing questions about what many in law enforcement are calling an enormous security failure. If that bullet was two inches to the right, it would have penetrated the former president's forehead,

and we would have a great American tragedy on our hands. The Secret Service was responsible for security at the rally, and tonight is facing an independent review of how the shooting happened. This video shows the alleged shooter on a roof just outside the rally security perimeter, firing shots before he was taken out by a Secret Service counter-sniper team. That quick response has been praised as life-saving, but former law enforcement officials say the entire incident never should have happened. The book does stop with the U.S. Secret Service. It's their plan. You're responsible, so you can't deflect blame on anybody else, and you have to make sure all these layers are put into place. Former President Trump was speaking from a stage

in a field. The shooter was only 148 yards away on top of a roof, one of only a few rooftops in the rural area. A question tonight, why was that rooftop not secured? So if you look at an aerial shot of that area, maybe there is a half a dozen roofs, but there's not thousands of roofs. It could have been covered for a couple hours and it should have been. Also, witnesses say they saw the gunman and tried to warn police. The question now, were those witnesses ignored? We're pointing at them. The police are down there running around on the ground. We're like, hey man, there's a guy on the roof with a rifle. And the police are down there running around on the ground. We're like, hey, man, there's a guy on the roof with a rifle. And the police are like, huh, what?

You know, like they didn't know what was going on. Tonight, the Secret Service did not respond to questions from NBC News, but is denying allegations it rebuffed requests from the Trump campaign for more resources. As for those witness accounts, authorities say they'll investigate. And House Republicans have announced an investigation, too, including calling on the Secret Service director to testify. Tom. Ken, thank you for that.

We are back in a moment with the heroes who stepped up at yesterday's rally to keep others safe. We are back with some of the day's other top stories, including sad news about actress Shannon Doherty. The star of Beverly Hills 90210 and Charmed has died after a years long battle with breast cancer. She was 53 years old. Before we go tonight, the stories of bravery emerging from yesterday's chaos and of the heroes who stepped in to help. Tonight, a nation in shock while a community unites in mourning. We need to all come together as a human race, you know. We need to help each other out.

What led to Saturday's senseless act of violence, we may never know. But at that rally, another picture emerging.