Police First Noticed Trump Gunman 90 Minutes Before Shots Fired—In Latest Possible Security Lapse, Report Says
SUMMARY
Police officials reportedly noticed 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks near Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, 90 minutes before he opened fire. Text messages obtained by The New York Times reveal that at 4:26 p.m., a local police countersniper warned colleagues about Crooks’ suspicious presence. Despite this, no action was taken, and Crooks was later seen using a rangefinder to target the rally. At 6:11 p.m., Crooks fired shots from a warehouse rooftop within 400 feet of Trump, who was grazed in the ear, and killed one attendee. The warehouse was not included in the rally’s security perimeter. The Secret Service and local law enforcement faced criticism for security failures and poor planning. Crooks, who spent days preparing for the attack, was shot and killed by Secret Service agents during the incident.
