Authorities were aware of the potential threat from Thomas Matthew Crooks at least 90 minutes before he opened fire
Thomas Matthew Crooks was identified as a possible threat at least 90 minutes before he tried to kill Donald Trump, according to text messages obtained by The New York Post.
The Post obtained text messages between members of the Beaver County Emergency Unit that was aiding Secret Service in policing the event. According to The Post, these messages provide “a more concrete—and earlier—timeline leading up to the shooting.”
The messages show that Crooks was also aware of law enforcement as he prepared his assassination attempt.
“Someone followed our lead and snuck in and parked by our cars just so you know,” a counter-sniper texted a colleague as he headed out around 4:26 p.m.
“I’m just letting you know because you see me go out with my rifle and put it in my car so he knows you guys are up there sitting to the direct right on a picnic table about 50 yards from the exit,” he wrote of the suspicious person who turned out to be Crooks.
At about 5.10 pm, according to the Post, Crooks was “below the counter-snipers who were inside the AGR International building warehouse where the 20-year-old eventually climbed onto the roof of and fired his AR-15 from.”
One of the counter-snipers took photos of him and posted them to a group chat less than 20 minutes later.
Another officer wrote in a text that they should tell the Secret Service about the suspicious person they had seen with a rangefinder.
“Kid learning around the building we are in. AGR I believe it is,” the text reads. “I did see him with a range finder looking towards stage [sic]. FYI. If you wanna notify SS snipers to look out. I lost sight of him.”
“Call it in to command and have a uniform check it out,” an officer texted.
The texts throw into doubt previous claims that the authorities knew about Crooks roughly an hour before the shooting, as was claimed at a recent congressional hearing.
Our understanding of the extent of Crooks’ planning, and the failures by Secret Service and local law enforcement to prevent him from carrying out his attack, continues to grow; although a proper understanding of his motive, beyond his aim to kill the president, is still yet to be establisged.
Secret Service Director Kimberley Cheatle stepped down last week in response to the outrage over her agency’s failure to protect the former president from the attempt on his life.
