The man who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump earlier this month was flagged as suspicious over 90 minutes before he opened fire, according to newly revealed text messages. Law enforcement identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks as a potential threat at 4:26 p.m., long before he shot at Trump at 6:11 p.m., grazing the former president’s ear, injuring two rally attendees, and killing 50-year-old Corey Comperatore.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) obtained and shared the text messages with The New York Times, shedding light on this glaring security lapse. A counter-sniper first noticed Crooks and reported his concerns in a group text with local police. “Someone followed our lead and snuck in and parked by our cars just so you know,” one message read. The counter-sniper wanted Crooks to be aware that law enforcement was in the vicinity, hoping it would deter any nefarious actions.
At 5:10 p.m., about an hour before the attack, Crooks was photographed by law enforcement near a building owned by AGR International. Twenty-eight minutes later, counter-snipers discussed the suspicious activity in their group chat and considered alerting the Secret Service. One officer noted, “Kid lurking around the building we are in. AGR, I believe it is. I did see him with a range finder looking towards the stage. FYI. If you wanna notify SS snipers to look out. I lost sight of him.”
Despite these warnings, Crooks managed to climb onto the roof of the AGR building and open fire at 6:11 p.m., narrowly missing Trump’s head and hitting his ear instead. Counter-snipers responded quickly, killing Crooks on the spot.
Body camera footage from the scene shows officers struggling to understand how Crooks managed to position himself undetected. One officer, visibly frustrated, says, “I’m trying to figure out how this guy got here.” The footage, obtained by Grassley, shows Crooks lying dead in a pool of blood next to the rifle he used in the attack. Another officer in the video counted at least eight shell casings, confirming Crooks fired multiple shots.
The investigation into this security failure is ongoing. House lawmakers have voted to create a task force to probe the incident, aiming to understand how such a significant oversight occurred at a high-profile campaign rally. The questions about the security breakdowns that allowed Crooks to execute his attack remain unanswered, fueling skepticism and criticism of the current administration’s handling of security for public officials.
