Bethel Park, Pennsylvania – Before former President Donald Trump spoke at a rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania on Saturday night, local police officers spotted a suspicious man carrying a rangefinder either inside the venue or just outside, according to law enforcement officials.
The officer reported the sighting to state police, according to sources, who said the officer took photos and sparked discussion about whether the images were taken with binoculars he was carrying to get a better view of the rally.
Authorities said the would-be assassin, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, opened fire minutes after Trump spoke.
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An undated photo of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the man accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 13, 2024. Crooks was apparently wearing the same T-shirt when Secret Service officers shot and killed him to thwart the attack. (Source: Fox News Digital)
Authorities said the man wounded the former president, killed a 50-year-old father of two and wounded two other spectators, but Secret Service counter-snipers neutralized the threat.
It was not immediately clear how long Crooks had been on the roof, but sources said he was first seen unarmed about 30 minutes before the attack.
State police did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the informant’s description of the incident.
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Authorities approached the spot where the suspected gunman fell after the U.S. Secret Service returned fire during the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. (Source: Fox News Digital)
Several witnesses also came forward in interviews and social media videos, claiming to have seen an armed man before the shooting began.
“Just because someone is on the roof, [counter-sniper] “The cops just have to fire,” said Bill Gage, an active shooter response expert who retired after 13 years with the Secret Service, including 6 1/2 years as a member of the counter-assault team. “They’re operating under the Graham v. Connor use of force rules. They should have seen a threat.”
But Crooks eventually climbed onto the roof and retrieved a DPMS AR-15 5.56 caliber rifle at the scene, which police sources said had been legally purchased by Crooks’ father more than a decade ago.
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Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci took this photo of former President Trump shortly after the assassination attempt. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Butler County Sheriff Michael Sloop said in an interview with local media that his deputies confronted Crooks moments before the shooting, but that when he peeked over the edge of the roof and ducked, the gunman pointed his gun at him.
“The officer had his hands up to get onto the roof, [and] “The perpetrator was facing the officers and so the officers rightly and wisely let him escape,” he said. KDKA Television.
Security outside the Secret Service’s protective perimeter is typically handled by state and local law enforcement agencies.
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On Saturday, July 13, 2024, Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump was speaking at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania when gunfire erupted and a police sniper returned fire. (AP Photo/Jean J. Puskar)
The FBI said early Monday that it had hacked into Crooks’ cellphone and was examining the device for evidence.
Authorities are still investigating a motive and said Crooks appeared to have acted as a lone wolf, but the investigation is ongoing.
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As of Monday afternoon, about 100 people had been interviewed, including witnesses and law enforcement officials.
