Messages seen by The New York Times show that security officials were aware of Thomas Crooks’ presence on July 13. Crooks, on the other hand, knew where the security officials were patrolling.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s suspected of attempted assassination Thomas Crooks attracted the attention of security service snipers about an hour before the shooting, The New York Times news.
NYT has seen the messages sent by the security authorities on July 13.
The messages show that about 100 minutes before Trump took the stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, a security official signaled to his colleagues that his shift was over.
At 4:19 p.m., the sniper left the warehouse, the roof of which was patrolled by Secret Service employees.
Two snipers remained to monitor the situation.
The officer noticed a young man sitting at a picnic table outside the campaign area.
At 16:26, a security service employee sent a text message about a suspicious man to his colleagues.
In his message, the security official said that a man with long hair had seen him come out of the warehouse with a rifle and that the man knows where the authorities are monitoring the area.
At 17:10 the man was no longer sitting at the picnic table.
From the message sent at 17:38, it appears that the man had moved near the security authorities’ patrolling place.
A sniper on patrol duty on the roof of the warehouse sent a picture of a man measuring the distance to the stage in a secret service group chat.
– The guy is investigating the building we are in. I believe it’s him. I saw him with the range finder. This is for your information, if you want to notify secret service snipers. I lost sight of him. There is also a bicycle and a backpack behind the building. They weren’t there before, the message says.
Also American CBS has reportedthat the sniper took a picture of the suspicious man just before shooting.
At 18:03 Trump took the stage and at 18:11 Crooks opened fire.
Crooks was shot moments later by security officials.
According to the New York Times, messages from the security authorities and material found on Crook’s phone show that Crooks was better acquainted with the campaign area than the security service.
Crooks was used among other things, a drone to survey the site. The Secret Service had not even applied for permission to use the drone to investigate the site.
Crooks had also managed to climb onto the roof, which was less than 400 meters from where Trump was speaking. The Secret Service left that very roof unguarded.
In addition, Crooks knew the location of the snipers of the security service, NYT writes.