The Pennsylvania man who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump had planned to work on Saturday but told his boss he needed the day off because he had “something to do.”
As CrimeOnline previously reported, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks was shot dead by Secret Service agents after firing five rounds at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Saturday. The shooter grazed Trump’s ear, killed firefighter Corey Comperatore, and injured two others.
Law enforcement sources told CNN that Crooks informed his boss he would return to work on Sunday. Crooks worked as a dietary aide at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
On Sunday, the center’s administrator, Marcie Grimm, said in a statement that Crooks had a clean background and “performed his job without concern.”
By 3 p.m. on Saturday, around three hours before the shooting, Crooks reportedly arrived at the security screening area for the rally. He raised suspicion when he passed through the magnetometers with a rangefinder, which resembles small binoculars, a senior law enforcement official told CNN.
Security kept an eye on him until he left the area, though the rangefinder did not prevent him from passing through. Investigators believe Crooks went to his car to retrieve the rifle after leaving the screening area.
Around the same time, witnesses alerted police to Crooks crawling on the roof of the American Glass Research building. One of the four counter-sniper teams saw Crooks using the rangefinder to look at their position, the senior law enforcement official said.
Crooks managed to avoid confrontation while he secured a rooftop position directly under a local police sniper team stationed inside the building, law enforcement sources told The New York Post.
Sources confirmed that officers were inside the building, but not on the roof during the shooting.
Crooks then fired up to eight rounds with an AR-style rifle, grazing Trump’s ear, killing a supporter, and injuring two others,
Around 11 p.m., Crooks’ father reported him missing, law enforcement officials told CNN. He said he believed his son had taken the rifle to the shooting range and expected him back by 1 p.m.
After the shooting, investigators found a bulletproof vest, three fully loaded magazines, and two remote-controlled explosive devices in Crooks’ car, multiple law enforcement sources reportedly said.
It’s unknown whether Crooks planned to use the body armor, the additional ammunition, or the two remote-controlled bombs.
Police found other items while searching Crooks’ residence, including another bulletproof vest, another remote-controlled explosive device, and a 3D printer.
Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Law enforcement block a street in Bethel Park, Pa., that they say was a residence of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the suspected shooter of former President Donald Trump, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)]
