The man who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump messaged his boss before going to the campaign rally where he filed multiple shots at the stage, multiple law enforcement officials told CNN.
Thomas Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, fired an AR-15 during Trump’s campaign rally in Butler on Saturday after telling his boss he needed the day off because he had “something to do,” CNN reported on Tuesday.
Crooks, who was killed by Secret Service agents after grazing Trump on the right ear with a bullet, reportedly told his co-workers he would be back to work on Sunday. Although the former president survived and was able to attend the Republican National Convention two days later, one bystander was killed and two others critically injured.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
It marked the first near-assassination of a president in more than 40 years. President Ronald Reagan was seriously injured but survived after he was shot outside the Washington Hilton Hotel in 1981.
Crooks was at the security screening area for the rally by 3 p.m., when he first aroused suspicion after he walked through metal detectors while carrying a rangefinder, according to CNN. The rangefinder, which is used to measure distances when setting up a long-range shot, would not have prevented Crooks from entering the rally but attracted attention of security officials who “kept an eye on him until he left the secure area.”
It is unclear where Crooks went after he left the screening area, but investigators suspect that he went to his car to retrieve his firearm. He was reportedly spotted using the rangefinder by authorities while witnesses alerted police about Crooks’ position on the roof.
“They were looking at him while he was looking at them,” the official told CNN.
Crooks shot at the stage where Trump was standing from a roof about 150 yards from the former president’s position. Officials said he reached the roof by climbing the air conditioning system of the building and hoisting himself up. CNN reported that after the shooting, a bulletproof vest, three fully loaded magazines—which carried nearly 100 rounds of ammunition—and two remote-controlled explosive devices were found in Crooks’ car.
The location in which Crooks was able to fire from with a rifle-style firearm has prompted criticism of the Secret Service and raised questions about whether there were security lapses that led to the shooting. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is expected to testify before lawmakers about the attempted assassination on Monday.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.