Trump Shooter Pointed Rifle at Cop Before Opening Fire, Suggests Report

New Delhi: In the latest development in Donald Trump's assassination attempt, media reports have suggested that the 20-year-old shooter who opened fire at the former's campaign rally in Pennsylvania pointed the rifle at a local policeman, who climbed to the roof to confront him.

A leading daily citing officials reported that the officer then retreated down the ladder, and the gunman started firing towards Trump, leaving him injured.

That's when US Secret Service sniper shot him, the report further claimed.

Several visuals surfaced on X on Sunday (IST) showing shooter being positioned atop an elevated structure. According to media reports, the gunman man was positioned on the roof of a manufacturing plant near the rally venue. He was positioned about 120 metres from the stage where Trump was addressing rally goers as a part of his election campaign.

Another video showed the the swift action by the Secret Service snipers who shot him dead. In another video, one of the secret Service snipers can be seen raising his head as if he identified the suspected shooter who aimed at the Republican leader.

Kevin Rojek, the agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)'s Pittsburgh field office, told the a leading daily, "it is surprising" that the gunman was able to open fire on the stage before the Secret Service killed him.

The FBI identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a man from Pennsylvania. The motive begind the attack remains unclear.

The FBI said they were investigating the attack as a potential act of domestic terrorism, but the absence of a clear ideological motive by the man shot dead by the Secret Service allowed conspiracy theories to flourish.

The law enforcement agency said it believes Crooks, who carried explosives in the vehicle as he drove to the campaign rally, acted alone.