Trump rally: Witness says he saw gunman minutes before shots were fired

Someone holding a gun was spotted on a building before gunfire broke out at a Donald Trump event in Pennsylvania, according to a person who saw it happen.

Greg Smith reported that the individual had climbed onto a building near the event in Butler County on Friday night.

He mentioned that he identified the gunman to the police.

As I pondered, I couldn't help but wonder why Trump was still talking and why someone hadn't escorted him off the stage. Suddenly, five gunshots were heard.

The ex-president was quickly surrounded by Secret Service agents and taken away. He had blood on his face and mentioned that a bullet had gone through his ear.

The person with a gun was killed by authorities, as confirmed later. Mr. Smith told the BBC that he witnessed Secret Service agents shooting the individual.

Mr. Smith was standing outside the rally and heard the sound of the gunshot about five minutes into Trump's speech.

"We saw a man crawling on all fours along the roof of the building next to us, about 50 feet away," he explained. "He was carrying a gun, a rifle that was clearly visible to us."

"We saw him up there, the officers were running below, we shouted to them 'Hey, there's a man on the rooftop with a gun'... but the police were unaware of the situation."

Mr. Smith mentioned that he attempted to notify the authorities for about three to four minutes. However, he believed that they might not have been able to spot the gunman due to the angle of the roof.

"Why aren't there any Secret Service agents on all these rooftops?" he inquired. "This place isn't that large." He remarked, "[It's a] complete security failure, 100%."

He mentioned that he witnessed the agents shoot the gunman afterwards: "They quietly moved to the roof, their weapons aimed at him, ensuring he was no longer alive. He was deceased, and at that point, the situation had come to an end."

Anthony Guglielmi, who represents the Secret Service, mentioned that agents had stopped the shooter and acted swiftly to keep everyone safe.

The occurrence is currently under investigation as a potential murder attempt.

One person from the audience lost their life, and two more were severely hurt, as stated by the authorities.

Mr. Smith went on to tell the BBC that his child was "sobbing and pleading with me to bring him back home" following the shooting.

He mentioned that many children were scared, and they continue to feel scared.

A different person at the event said they immediately fell to the floor when they heard five rapid gunshots.

Jason, who chose to remain anonymous, shared with the BBC: "I witnessed the Secret Service swiftly move to shield Trump; all the people around immediately took cover."

Afterwards, he got to his feet and raised his fist in the air.

He had a few cuts and scratches, with blood coming from his ear. Despite this, he managed to stand up and was still conscious and breathing.

At the protest, a doctor from the emergency room told CBS News, which is partnered with the BBC in the US, that he helped a person in the crowd who had been shot in the head.

"I heard the loud noise, at first I thought it was fireworks," he recounted.

Someone in the distance was shouting "He's been hit, he's been hit."

The man had turned quickly and was stuck between the seats.

"There was an abundance of blood."