Thomas Crooks was considered a “person of interest” by the Secret Service after law enforcement determined he was acting suspiciously and was carrying a golf rangefinder, but was not yet considered a “threat,” according to Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.
Crooks only became a threat when he “recovered a weapon” and climbed onto the roof, Guglielmi said, adding that being deemed a threat requires “a different procedure and course of action than a suspect.”
Guglielmi alleges Crooks was only perceived to be a threat when he retrieved a weapon and went onto the roof.
Shortly thereafter, Butler Township police officers confronted Crooks on a rooftop, where he pointed a gun at one of the officers, who then jumped off the roof. Crooks then fired a gun at former President Trump and was shot and killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
