Texts from law enforcement reveal warnings about the shooter's presence before the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. Officers noticed the shooter over 90 minutes before he fired eight rounds.
Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley obtained the texts from the Beaver County Emergency Unit. A local countersniper saw someone park and sit at a nearby picnic table at 4:26 p.m.
Messages reported by The New York Times show officers took a photo of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the shooter. They sent it to other officers 30 minutes before Crooks shot at Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“Kid lurking around building we are in,” one text reads. “I did see him with a range finder looking towards stage. FYI. If you wanna notify SS snipers to look out. I lost sight of him.”
Questions remain about how local law enforcement missed stopping Crooks. He climbed a building and nearly killed a former president and nominee. Unclear communication and security management issues are evident.
Beaver County SWAT team members, assisting in security, shared their concerns. They expected a face-to-face briefing with Secret Service in Butler, which never happened.
“We were supposed to get a face-to-face briefing with the Secret Service members whenever they arrived, and that never happened,” said Jason Woods, a sniper on the team.
It's unclear when local law enforcement informed the Secret Service about Crooks. Timing of the photo and communication before he accessed the roof remains in question.
Following Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle's resignation, acting Director Ronald Rowe and FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate will testify. Lawmakers seek answers about the failures that day.