Every day seems to bring more troubling revelations about Saturday's attempted assassination of Donald Trump. On Thursday morning, we learned that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old who tried to kill Trump, had hidden his rifle in advance, according to a Secret Service source speaking to Fox News.
The exact location where he concealed the weapon remains unclear. By the time agents identified him on the roof, he was already armed.
"We went from a golf range finder to an AR-15, and now we have to fill in the gap," the source explained to Fox News.
When authorities first observed Crooks carrying a golf range finder Saturday, he was perceived as a "person of interest" but not a "threat," authorities said Thursday.
Range finders were not banned from rally events at the time, but authorities are expected to review the list of items that are not allowed.
He did not become an official threat until he was seen with a weapon.
There were four counter-sniper teams stationed around the rally, according to the Secret Service – two from the agency and two provided by local law enforcement.
Of the four teams, two opened fire, one local and one from the Service. A federal sharpshooter fatally struck the gunman seconds after the gunfire erupted.
How is it possible that Crooks hid the weapon in advance? I'm by no means an expert, but I've been through Secret Service security and have seen it in action at high-profile events before. Was there not a sweep of the surrounding area before the rally? If the rifle was stashed somewhere, wouldn't someone have found it during a security sweep before the rally?
This revelation follows reports that Crooks had been in the sights of snipers for up to 20 minutes before he fired, yet organizers allowed Trump to take the stage. Additionally, a Senate hearing on Wednesday disclosed that Crooks had scouted the rally site a few days beforehand.
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A new report from Bloomberg also tells us that there have been dozens of threats against Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home, according to Secret Service documents that the outlet has obtained. The documents detail incidents where individuals gained unauthorized access to the property while Trump was present. Though none posed an immediate threat, many were charged with trespassing and resisting arrest, while others were sent to mental health facilities.
In one 2018 incident, an 18-year-old college student, after being screened, spent 10 minutes on the property and posted videos on Snapchat, one titled "Sneaking into Trump club is like taking candy from a baby."
About six months later, another man was detained by Mar-a-Lago security and officers at the Palm Beach Police Department for trespassing. He told them he was there because he “was the ‘Commander in Chief’ and wanted to survey Mar-a-Lago because it was his birthright.” He said the “ruling families of the world” were scheduled to meet at Trump’s residence for “an interdimensional peace conference.”
The intruder said he had no intention of harming Trump, but that he believed Trump wasn’t doing a good job. Whenever Trump was in town, the man said he would go to a nearby park and communicate with Trump via “Morse code through the use of lighters.” The man was taken to the Palm Beach Police Department to be questioned by Secret Service agents. He refused to speak with them. Police had the man involuntarily committed to a mental health facility.
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