Secret Service Snipers notified 90 minute before shots were fired
Secret Service Snipers notified 90 minutes before shots were fired. #SecretService #FBI #Assassination Security at former President Trump’s Butler, Pa., rally first noticed the man who later shot at Trump more than 90 minutes before shots were fired, according to texts reported by The New York Times, adding to criticism of the Secret Service’s handling of the event. A local countersniper first noticed gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks at 4:26 p.m., just more than an hour and a half before he climbed onto a nearby roof and shot at Trump, nicking his ear, killing a supporter in the crowd and injuring two others. The officer, who was clocking out of his shift, notified colleagues about a suspicious man sitting at a picnic table near their lookout point via text. Additional texts at about 5:40 p.m. show officers discussing that they should inform Secret Service after Crooks was spotted again, this time using a range finder. “Call it in to command and have a uniform check it out,” the text reads. The series of security failures that allowed Crooks to get into position to shoot Trump has shocked Congress, sparking a House investigation as well as an independent probe. Secret Service Director Kimberley Cheatle resigned from her post last week after being grilled by the House Oversight and Accountability Committee about the attempted assassination. Police on scene were unable to find Crooks again after being made aware of his presence near the building he later climbed. Just after Trump took the stage at 6:03 p.m., members of the crowd pointed out a suspicious man on a nearby rooftop. FBI Director Christopher Wray testified last week that a local Butler police officer was then boosted onto the roof to confront Crooks, but was met with a gun being pointed at him. With no free hands to grab his own gun and fire back, he dropped to avoid being shot. Just “seconds” later, Wray said, Crooks fired eight rounds towards Trump. He was quickly shot and killed by a Secret Service countersniper team