Explosive new text messages have emerged showing that law enforcement officers in Butler, Pennsylvania were aware of shooter Thomas Crooks 90 minutes before he opened fire during an assassination attempt against President Donald Trump.
Text messages show officers responsible for monitoring Trump’s Pennsylvania rally spotted his would-be assassin well in advance of the shooting.
They flagged Crooks to colleagues as suspicious at least 90 minutes before he opened fire.
The messages, made public by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) who obtained them from Beaver County Emergency Services Unit (ESU), showed that officers flagged 20-year-old Crooks after he was spotted using a range finder.
However, the officers did not approach him.
The first screenshot is a group chat of Beaver ESU officers.
The second is from one Beaver County sniper departing his shift at around 4:30 – approximately 90 minutes before Trump took the stage.
The New York Times first reported the text screenshots.
In a group chat, around 4:36 p.m., when one of the officers texted that his shift was ending, he warned that a man, later identified as Crooks, had parked nearby their vehicle.
“Someone followed our lead and snuck in and parked by our cars just so you know,” the text from an officer read.
A follow-up message said that Crooks was about 50 yards from the rally’s exit, sitting at a picnic table.
Two other counter-snipers responded with a thumbs-up emoji and responded, writing, “Roger that.”
Approximately 45 minutes later, at 5:10 p.m., officers flagged that Crooks was on the move and had positioned himself near the BlackRock-owned American Glass International (AGR) building.
Crooks would later perch himself on top of the AGR building to target the 45th president.
While Crooks waited, an officer snapped a picture of the 20-year-old suspect.
The picture showed Crooks leaning against the AGR building with his signature greasy shoulder-length hair and gray t-shirt.
“Kid learning around building we are in,” an officer wrote in a text message, along with an image of Crooks.
“AGR I believe it is. I did see him with a range finder looking towards stage.
“FYI. If you wanna notify SS snipers to look out.”
“I lost sight of him,” the officer added.
A follow-up message said:
“Call it in to command and have a uniform check it out.”
The newly surfaced texts show that authorities knew about the suspicious person, later identified as Crooks, close to 90 minutes before the shooting.
This updates the previous known time of about 60 minutes.
By 6:11 p.m., approximately 1 hour after the last text message was sent, the “kid” would be killed by a counter-sniper after he opened fire on Trump and the rallygoers.
Trump’s ear was pierced by a bullet, while three rallygoers were also shot, including hero Corey Comperatore.
50-year-old Comperatore was shot and killed while protecting his family from the shooter’s bullets.
David Dutch and James Copenhaver were injured after being shot at the rally.
Copenhaver was recently released from the hospital on Friday.
Dutch was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday, July 24.
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