Details emerge about Thomas Matthew Crooks, man who shot Trump
The 20-year-old man who shot Trump, previously visited the site of the campaign event in Pennsylvania and was deemed suspicious an hour before shooting.
New information continues to emerge related to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, which left the shooter and one other person dead, as well as two critically injured.
The FBI identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old man from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. According to Secret Service reports, the shooter was outside the Trump rally site on the roof of a building.
Authorities have also revealed that Crooks asked for Saturday off, the day the political rally was held, arguing that he had something important to do.
Crooks visited the site of the rally before
A briefing was held Wednesday on what happened at the U.S. Congressional Senate in which it was revealed that Crooks visited the rally site days before the event to scout the area, two sources familiar with today’s briefing told NBC News.
Separately, the sources told the news outlet that Crooks was identified as a suspicious person roughly an hour before opening fire, and snipers spotted him 20 minutes before the shooting.
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The FBI has interviewed more than 200 people, reviewed more than 14,000 images and reviewed Crooks’ cell phone, but has yet to find a motive for the attack. But the agency clarified that there is no known connection to foreign entities at this time.
Authorities also noted that a police officer saw the shooter moments before firing at former President Donald Trump, but was “in a defenseless position,” so he was unable to stop him.
“The officer was pulling himself up to the roof when he made visual contact with an individual who pointed a rifle at him,” Butler Township Administrator Tom Knights said. “The officer was in a defenseless position and there was no way he could engage the actor while holding onto the roof edge,” he added.
The officer fell to the ground and immediately communicated where the person was and that he was armed, Knights said. Moments later, the person began shooting, the officer added.