A photograph of would-be assassin Thomas Crooks, which was circulated among law enforcement before the crazed gunman attempted to kill former President Donald Trump, has been made public.
Crooks, 20, attracted the attention of the Secret Service and local police who were tasked with securing the event, held in Butler, Pennsylvania, 30 miles north of Pittsburgh, on July 14.
The gunman was acting strangely near the metal detectors that attendees were required to pass through before entering the event grounds. Witnesses said Crooks was furiously checking his phone and operating a hunting rangefinder.
He tried to enter through that point but activated the detector and was denied entry, the sources said.
Later, around 5:30 p.m., a photograph of Crooks was distributed among several Secret Service members after law enforcement officials were informed of his suspicious behavior. The photograph shows Crooks wearing a T-shirt with the logo of the popular YouTube channel Demolition Ranch.
At some point, the officers lost track of Crooks. They then spotted him climbing onto the roof of the American Glass Research building. About seven minutes later, he opened fire on Donald Trump.
In the initial investigation, a remote detonator was recovered from Crooks’ body along with his cell phone. It was later revealed that the detonator was connected to explosives found in his car.
The latest photo shows would-be Trump assassin Thomas Crooks, 20, wearing a T-shirt bearing the logo of the YouTube channel Demolition Ranch.
Law enforcement personnel stand over Crooks’ body on the rooftop of America Glass Research, located just a couple hundred yards from where Trump spoke on Saturday.
The backpack placed on this bike is said to have been linked to the attempted murder of Crooks.
The remote detonator is seen next to Thomas Crooks’ mobile phone
The robbers took up a position on the sloped roof and shot Trump from a distance of about 165 yards, wounding him in the ear and killing retired fire chief Corey Comperatore.
Trump took the stage at 6:03 p.m., an hour later than planned. Shots were heard at the scene at approximately 6:11 p.m.
A bicycle owned by Crooks was also recovered near the scene despite multiple reports indicating he had driven to the event.
Following the shooting that killed a bystander, investigators were searching for any clues about what might have driven Crooks, a Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, resident, to carry out the shocking attack.
The FBI said it was investigating it as a possible act of domestic terrorism, but the lack of a clear ideological motive on the part of the man shot dead by the Secret Service gave rise to conspiracy theories.
Investigators believe he acted alone and have confirmed there is no social media presence to suggest Crooks’ attack was politically motivated.
Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe told the AP that a local deputy went up to the roof and encountered Crooks, who saw the deputy and turned toward him just before the deputy ran to safety.
Slupe said the officer could not have drawn his own weapon under the circumstances.
There are two sniper teams ready to monitor any threats against Trump.
This 2021 photo provided by the Bethel Park School District shows Thomas Matthew Crooks
The officer backed up the stairs and Crooks quickly fired toward Trump, and that’s when Secret Service snipers shot him, according to two officials who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.
WPXI said Multiple sources confirmed Tuesday that Crooks was on the roof with a gun for less than seven minutes before being confronted by a Butler Township police officer.
The offenders used an AR-style rifle, which authorities believe was purchased by his father.
The roof where Crooks lay was less than 150 meters (164 yards) from where Trump was speaking, a distance from which a decent marksman could reasonably hit a human-sized target.
That’s the distance at which U.S. Army recruits must hit a human-sized silhouette in order to fire the M-16 rifle.
In addition to the explosives in his car, investigators also recovered a bulletproof vest and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, which had been purchased, along with a ladder, on the same day of the shooting.
Another bulletproof vest and a third remote-controlled bomb were later discovered in the home he shared with his parents.
The latest revelation that he also had a transmitter has raised fears that Crooks may have planned to continue his killing spree if he had escaped the roof alive, and may have had an accomplice to help him.
Hours earlier, Crooks had asked his boss for the day off, telling him he had “something to do,” before traveling to Saturday’s demonstration.
The suspected killer told his colleagues at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center that he would see them on Sunday.
But a Secret Service agent at Butler’s rally said he would be the last person Crooks would see as he stared the killer down before shooting him dead, graphic video revealed.
The video shows Crooks staring through the scope of his father’s AR-style weapon and firing toward the protest as onlookers shout from the base of the building.
A second burst of gunfire is instantly heard and Crooks is seen lying dead on the roof as those on the ground gasp in horror.
“The Secret Service doesn’t mess around, man,” one exclaims. “Shit!”
He had climbed into the building’s air conditioning system and onto the roof, where MAGA fans saw him “bear-crawling” along the sloping surface with his rifle, and warned law enforcement of the danger.
“I was like, ‘Why is Trump still talking? Why hasn’t he been taken off the stage?'” one witness told the BBC. “The next thing I knew, five shots rang out.”
Crooks was a nutritional assistant at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, where she provided food and care to elderly and post-hospitalized patients.
“We are shocked and saddened to learn of his involvement, as Thomas Matthew Crooks performed his job without concern and his background check was clean,” Trustee Marcie Grimm said in a statement.
A colleague at the centre said Crooks never expressed political views at work and was not a “radical”.
“It’s hard to see everything that’s going on online because he was a very, very good person who did something very bad, and I wish I knew why,” she added.
The alleged killer was a registered Republican and a 2022 high school graduate. Records show he donated on Inauguration Day 2020 to a progressive group backing President Joe Biden.
He graduated from the Community College of Allegheny County in May with an associate of science degree in engineering, according to school officials who said they were “shocked and saddened by the horrific turn of events.”
Crooks’ father, Matthew, was seen Tuesday morning for the first time since the shooting when he opened the door of the family home to FBI agents.
A neighbor of Crooks’ sister, Katie, said her brother helped her move into her nearby apartment three years ago, describing her as a “hardworking” woman who worked as a janitor at a local high school and as a waitress at a restaurant.
Both of Crooks’ parents are behavioral therapists and Crooks’ father said he was baffled by his son’s actions.
The Justice Department, Secret Service and FBI are expected to brief senators on the investigation on Wednesday, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday night as the Secret Service faces intense scrutiny over its handling of security at the rally.