Thomas Matthew Crooks, the shooter who attempted to assassinate former US President Donald Trump, asked for a day off citing no specific reason but said he had something to do, according to police.
The attack on July 13 done by the 20-year-old during Trump's campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania claimed the life of an innocent bystander while critically injuring two others.
As multiple gunshots were fired, Trump escaped the attempt with just a bullet grazing his ear. Crooks told his coworkers he would return to work on Sunday (July 14).
Investigators have still not been able to identify any motive behind Crooks’ attack. He was at the rally approximately 3 hours before the shooting. He raised suspicion when passing through the security screening where a rangefinder was found with him.
The object looks similar to a small pair of binoculars used by hunters and target shooters to measure distances when setting up a long-range shot which did attract the attention of security personnel, according to a senior law enforcement official.
Witnesses in the area alerted police that a man was crawling on the roof of the American Glass Research building when one of the four counter-sniper teams observed Crooks looking at their position through the rangefinder.
“They were looking at him while he was looking at them,” the official said.
Crook's father, who reported him missing around 11 pm, told agents that he believed his son had taken the rifle on Saturday to go to the shooting range and would be back by around 1 pm, the sources said.
The investigators found a bulletproof vest, three fully-loaded magazines, and two remote-controlled explosive devices in Crooks’ car after the shooting.
For the past few months, Crooks received multiple packages, including some marked as possibly containing hazardous materials, as reported by CNN citing a joint FBI and Department of Homeland Security bulletin.
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