Snipers noticed Crooks 90 minutes before Trump shooting

Security at former President Trump’s Butler, Pa., rally first noticed the man who later shot at Trump more than 90 minutes before shots were fired, according to texts among law enforcement working the event.

The texts, obtained by The Hill and first reported by The New York Times, add to criticism of the Secret Service’s handling of the event.

A local countersniper first noticed gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks at 4:26 p.m., just more than an hour and a half before he climbed onto a nearby roof and shot at Trump, nicking his ear, killing a supporter in the crowd and injuring two others.

The officer, who was clocking out of his shift, notified colleagues about a suspicious man sitting at a picnic table near their lookout point via text, describing Crooks as having “snuck in” parked alongside officers’ cars.

Additional texts at about 5:40 p.m. show officers discussing that they should inform Secret Service after Crooks was spotted again, this time using a range finder. Photos included in the messages show Crooks at the event and also note a bike and a backpack spotted near the scene.

“Call it in to command and have a uniform check it out,” the text reads.

The series of security failures that allowed Crooks to get into position to shoot Trump has shocked Congress, sparking a House investigation as well as an independent probe. Secret Service Director Kimberley Cheatle resigned from her post last week after being grilled by the House Oversight and Accountability Committee about the attempted assassination.

Police on scene were unable to find Crooks again after being made aware of his presence near the building he later climbed. Just after Trump took the stage at 6:03 p.m., members of the crowd pointed out a suspicious man on a nearby rooftop.

FBI Director Christopher Wray testified last week that a local Butler police officer was then boosted onto the roof to confront Crooks, but was met with a gun being pointed at him. With no free hands to grab his own gun and fire back, he dropped to avoid being shot. 

Just “seconds” later, Wray said, Crooks fired eight rounds towards Trump. He was quickly shot and killed by a Secret Service countersniper team.

The FBI announced Monday that it would be speaking with Trump about the shooting, something the bureau described as a “standard victim interview.”

A motive for the shooting is unknown, though investigators found that Crooks had searched for multiple possible targets before deciding on Trump, including President Biden. It is believed he suffered from a depressive disorder.

The FBI shared Monday that Crooks had used an alias both to purchase firearm-related items as well as chemicals needed to create the explosive devices later found in his car. He also researched other assassinations, including that of President Kennedy and the failed assassination attempt on the Slovakian prime minister.

The new details move back the timeline for when Crooks was first spotted, which was previously believed to be about an hour before the shooting.

“The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders. On July 13th, we failed,” Cheatle said in the Oversight Committee hearing last week. “As the director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse.”

“We must learn what happened and I will move heaven and earth to ensure an incident like July 13 does not happen again,” she continued. “Thinking about what we should have done differently is never far from my thoughts.”

Updated at 5:22 p.m.