This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Was there more than one shooter involved in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania?

That question is being openly discussed on national television by a top-ranking U.S. senator.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Mich., a member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, was asked by Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo on "Sunday Morning Futures":

"So are you questioning whether or not there was a second shooter? Is that what you're questioning, or if the shooter had a different gun?"

Johnson responded:

"You know, I saw extremely convincing video online, I know it's all over the place. There were three distinct shots early on followed by another five more staccato, more rapidly fired, and then the final one which we believe took the shooter out.

"How to you explain that? I don't know, I'm not an expert. But the individual putting that video out says it clearly shows there were at least three different weapons fired that day.

"Again, I don't know, but we can't trust the FBI and the Secret Service to do an honest and open, transparent investigation, that's just a very sad fact. We've got to rely on other sources, independent, to really find out what the truth of the matter was on Saturday, July 13th.

The video to which Johnson alluded can be seen here:

Bartiromo also asked: "But I gotta get to this, after the shooter was taken down by Secret Service, the local law enforcement – and I know this from some of your preliminary comments, your preliminary findings – started taking pictures of the dead body, right? Can you tell us what happened then?"

Johnson said: "That sniper team that was in the AGR building, they were the first ones in that went up on the roof, they were the first to encounter the dead assassin at that point in time. Later on other people joined them and, you know, somebody told them to send the pictures they had taken to an ATF agent, which I think is very strange. And we called up that ATF agent, that individual and said that he was with ATF, and now he's gone dark.

"We've also reached out to the Secret Service agents in charge on the ground. All we're getting there is the runaround. We are getting information from local law enforcement, and we appreciate that. But, unfortunately, federal law enforcement agents, they're just saying, well, go through your congressional liaison.

"Again, that's gonna be unacceptable. I wish I could rely and have faith in the FBI and Secret Service to do a truthful accounting of this, but that's not been my experience with the Russian collusion hoax and for years dealing with federal law enforcement. We need completely separate and independent investigations, and it has to start now."

Johnson is urging transcribed interviews be done "now while memories are still fresh."

"It is so important that people who saw things that they preserve it."