Authorities reportedly spotted Trump’s would-be assassin nearly 30 minutes before he opened fire

Law enforcement personnel reportedly spotted former President Donald Trump’s would-be assassin about 30 minutes before the gunman opened fire at a Saturday rally in Pennsylvania, according to reporting from a local NBC News affiliate.

Authorities reportedly identified the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, on top of the roof from which he ultimately tried to kill Trump at approximately 5:45 p.m., about half an hour before he nearly assassinated the former president, WPXI reported Monday, citing anonymous law enforcement sources. The individual who reportedly spotted the gunman then reportedly took a picture of him and called it in, though it was unclear at that time whether or not the shooter was armed, the outlet reported.

A law enforcement officer had also reportedly spotted Crooks on the ground at the site of the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally earlier on and reported him as a “suspicious” individual, according to WPXI, citing anonymous law enforcement sources. The individual who spotted Crooks on the grounds reportedly took his picture and tried to search for him, but was unsuccessful, the outlet reported.

Absolutely unreal photo taken by @dougmillsnyt reportedly shows a bullet flying by President Trump’s head pic.twitter.com/3K8fsGAVWV

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) July 14, 2024

Reuters, WPXI sister station WHIOTV7, and the New York Post have also reported on WPXI’s story.

Subsequently, one law enforcement officer reportedly reached the roof of the building and encountered Crooks, who reportedly pivoted his weapon in the direction of the officer before the officer retreated from the roof, according to The Associated Press. Shortly thereafter, the gunman took aim at Trump and opened fire, coming within inches of assassinating the former president before law enforcement returned fire and killed the assailant.

A bullet grazed Trump’s ear, nearly killing him, while one attendee was killed and another two injured. Local police personnel were inside the building from which Crooks fired on Trump while the shooter was on the roof, the Secret Service confirmed to ABC News. Little is currently known about Crooks, 20, and his worldview, other than that he had registered as a Republican and had previously made a small donation to a Democrat-aligned political organization, according to Axios.

The Secret Service has drawn considerable scrutiny for its approach to securing the venue site given that the shooter was able to get several clear shots off at Trump before being neutralized. President Joe Biden has called for a “thorough and swift” review of the shooting, and lawmakers are also moving to conduct their own probe of the botched assassination attempt.

The Beaver County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Secret Service did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

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