The U.S. Secret Service (USSS) and the FBI told lawmakers Wednesday that former President Donald Trump’s would-be assassin was identified well before shots rang out at the Pennsylvania rally, according to sources familiar with the briefing.
Federal law enforcement held the briefing with lawmakers to go over specifics of the shooting that nearly killed Trump on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania. During the call, USSS and FBI officials stated that the gunman, later identified as Thomas Crooks, was noticed about an hour before the shooting, or approximately 50 minutes before Trump took the stage to address the crowd, according to two sources familiar with the briefing.
“There was zero accountability from Secret Service,” one source familiar with the briefing told the DCNF. “They identified the shooter 60 minutes prior to the assassination attempt.”
Another source familiar with the briefing confirmed this particular detail to the DCNF. One of the sources said the officials told senators that Crooks was spotted with a range finder.