Leaked texts have revealed that law enforcement officials were aware of Donald Trump's would-be assassin 90 minutes before the shooting took place.
On July 13, the 78-year-old former president was speaking to a crowd at the Butler Farm Show grounds in Pennsylvania when an assassination attempt occurred.
Approximately 10 minutes into his speech, gunshots rang out, and a bullet grazed Trump’s right ear.
Amid the chaos, Secret Service agents quickly moved Trump to the ground while authorities shot and killed the assailant.
In addition to Trump’s injury, a male rally-goer was killed, and two other men were critically injured during the shooting.
Newly released text messages from law enforcement reveal that shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks was on authorities' radar for a full 90 minutes before he fired at the former President.
The text exchange, obtained by The New York Times, shows that at 4:26PM, a SWAT team member from Pennsylvania's Beaver County Emergency Service Unit alerted his colleagues about a suspicious individual.
"Someone followed our lead and snuck in and parked by our cars just so you know," he wrote.
The text continued: "I'm just letting you know because you see me go out with my rifle and put it in my car so he knows you guys are up there sitting to the direct right on a picnic table about 50 yards from the exit."
The individual in question was later identified as Crooks.
By 5:10PM, Crooks had moved from the picnic table to a position directly below the counter-snipers.
One of the counter-snipers took pictures of him, and the photos were shared at 5:38PM in the group chat.
"Kid learning around building we are in. AGR I believe it is. 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," the text read.
Another officer added: "Call it in to command and have a uniform check it out."
By 6:00PM, officers guessed Crooks was moving away from the event. Instead, he climbed onto a roof close to the stage.
Trump took the podium at 6:03PM, and six minutes later, rally attendees spotted Crooks on the roof.
At 6:11PM, Crooks fired his first shot.
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Trump, turning his head, narrowly avoided the bullet. The former president dived to the ground, and Crooks fired again before being killed by the Secret Service sniper team.
Body-camera footage shows officers climbing a ladder to find Crooks dead on the roof, his backpack and rifle nearby.
“Looks like, what, at least eight,” one officer said, counting shell casings. “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. At least eight.”
SWAT members told ABC News on Monday that they were supposed to have a briefing with the Secret Service, but it never happened.
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