Shooter’s Final Minutes: Trump Gun Nut Had Detonators in Pocket, Locked Eyes With Secret Service Sniper Through His Rangefinder
Trump rally shooter had remote control detonators in his pockets during attempted assassination of Donald Trump.
July 17 2024, Updated 6:21 p.m. ET
Investigators have pieced together the final moments of Donald Trump's rally shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks.
The 20-year-old was found with a remote control detonator in his pocket and reportedly locked eyes with a secret service sniper through his rangefinder just before his death, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Crooks went through security screening at the Trump rally with a rangefinder.
As this outlet reported, Crooks used a ladder to scale a building nearby the Trump rally taking place in Butler County, Pennsylvania. He then opened fire with an AR-15 style rifle, killing one attendee and nearly missed the ex-president before he was killed by law enforcement snipers.
New developments in the ongoing investigation have now revealed a plethora of other items found on Crooks, suggesting he had planned for more carnage that fateful day.
Members of the crowd saw Crooks scale a nearby building.
According to John Miller, CNN's Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst, flags were first raised when Crooks carried a rangefinder into the rally. While he did not have a weapon on him, rangefinders are often used to locate targets from a long distance.
Miller noted when Crooks was screened by security and the rangefinder was discovered, officials said to "keep an eye on him".
CNN's John Miller said counter-snipers recalled the shooter watching them with the rangefinder.
Crooks exited the staging area and reportedly wasn't seen again until members of the crowd noticed him scaling a nearby building with what appeared to be a rifle and alerted authorities.
Miller shared an "eerie moment" before the shooter opened fire in which he was using the rangefinder to locate law enforcement counter snipers, who recalled the shooter "looking at us looking at him".
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After the shooter was neutralized by law enforcement, a search of his Hyundai Sonata was performed. Officials uncovered two remote control bombs in the shooter's vehicle. He was additionally found with a remote for the devices on his person.
Three "fully-loaded" magazines, featuring nearly 100 rounds, and were also discovered on the roof near the shooter, who was wearing a bullet-proof vest at the time.
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Trump spoke at the Association of Black Journalists just weeks after a bullet grazed his ear in an attempted assassination.
The volume of weapons, specifically the IEDs found in Crooks' car, have raised more questions about the full extent of his plans that day.
As this outlet reported, a high school counselor from Crooks' school insisted that he was not a victim of bullying, despite some reports that claimed he was "relentlessly" picked on by classmates.
Crooks' motive remains a mystery as the investigation into the shooting remains active and ongoing.
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