A potentially explosive new development in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on Saturday has been revealed. Fox News reports that the parents of 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks were "looking for him" and called law enforcement to alert them that he was missing.
Thomas Matthew Crooks’ parents were looking for him on Saturday in the hours leading up to the Trump rally shooting and eventually called law enforcement to indicate that he was missing and they were worried, Fox News has learned.
It’s unclear what his parents told authorities, but the call happened on Saturday before Crooks later opened fire at Trump during the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The parents are being cooperative with authorities and the FBI is still trying to determine a motive for the attack, sources also told Fox News.
WTH is this about pic.twitter.com/lR6ypitfqo
— Karli Bonne’ 🇺🇸 (@KarluskaP) July 17, 2024
This is the latest in a series of developments since the nearly successful assassination attempt that raises questions about the lax security and warnings law enforcement had in what was undoubtedly a preventable shooting that took the life of a hero firefighter, Corey Comperatore, who shielded his family from the gunfire.
Other reports indicate that Crooks meticulously planned his assassination attempt at the Trump rally. Law enforcement sources revealed that bystanders observed Crooks behaving suspiciously with a rangefinder near the rally venue before Trump's appearance. He also purchased ammunition and a ladder from Home Depot, suggesting detailed planning.
Bill Gage, a retired Secret Service agent who is now a consultant at Safehaven Security Group, told Fox News Digital, "He knew that there were elevated positions there i.e., those buildings off in the distance, and that he would need a ladder to access. It is being reported that he didn’t use it – but the purchase indicates to me that there was some advance planning involved."
"It’s clear now the gunman did an advance of the target before the event," explained Gage. "[Arthur] Bremer, [Lee Harvey] Oswald, and [John] Hinckley, they all scouted before."
Crooks knew he'd need a rifle, not a handgun. The killer packed explosive materials into his vehicle. He also brought body armor, which he didn't wear when he climbed the roof – a choice likely aimed at avoiding detection, Gage said.
Crooks didn't use the ladder. He climbed up an air conditioning unit to get onto the roof, ABC News reported earlier.
"But buying a ladder is very telling," he added. "Sometime between the announcement of the event and Trump taking the stage, he scouted out the location and decided that a rooftop attack with a rifle was the best plan."
David Katz, a former DEA special agent and federal firearms instructor who is now the CEO of Global Security Group, said the range-finder Crooks was carrying is also a sign of the preparations he took ahead of time.
"That tells me this kid not only practiced but was aware of how to sight-in his rifle at that distance and probable declination of angle," he told Fox News Digital. "It tells you the exact distance to your target, and the angle up or down, and you just dial in."
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