Photo: Alamy
A local countersniper notified his colleagues of the presence of Thomas Matthew Crooks at least 90 minutes before he attempted to assassinate President Trump, according to a report from the New York Times (NYT).
At around 4:26 p.m. ET, the officer sent a text with Crooks’ location at a picnic table nearby, telling them, “Call it in to command and have a uniform check it out.”
The NYT also reported that various texts between local law enforcement were exchanged at around 5:40 p.m., which included discussions about informing Secret Service agents about Crooks and his possession of a range finder.
Crooks seemingly disappeared shortly thereafter but was spotted by rallygoers at around 6:03 p.m., just eight minutes before he shot the 45th president, per NYT.
These new details show that law enforcement was aware of Crooks a full 90 minutes before he fired the first shot.
Although his motive remains unknown, the FBI believes that “his actions also show a careful planning ahead of the rally.”