A murderer is not the only “suspicious” person in the demonstration

It turns out Thomas Matthew Crooks wasn't the only person security had their eyes on in Butler, Pennsylvania.

As investigations continue into the events leading up to and during the failed assassination attempt that nearly took the life of former President Donald Trump, more information is emerging that paints a clearer picture of what happened that day Speaking to the House Homeland Security Committee, Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Christopher Paris noted that Crooks was not the only person on the security radar that day.

“Was [Crooks] the only one determined to suspect that day? asked Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY).

“No, it wasn't,” Paris replied. “They identified Crooks for not enrolling. The crooks never got past the secure perimeter into the space itself.”

In addition to Crooks, two other people were labeled as “suspicious” and were observed by law enforcement for the rest of the day. However, once the would-be killer was seen holding a rangefinder, he was immediately declared a “special individual” and considered “even more suspicious.” About 20 minutes before Trump took the stage, a sniper spotted Crooks who appeared to be looking at his rangefinder and phone. The sniper then took a photo and sent it to a group chat, alerting others nearby to the young man's strange behavior.

“There was a text thread going,” Paris explained. “They took a picture of him at some point when he used the range finder. Suspicion grew… I know this from an interview that was immediately relayed to the command post at the Secret Service.

Ten minutes after this interaction, Crooks was seen on a roof in front of President Trump, at which point an officer was tasked with monitoring the roof. A complainant claims that this officer ended up leaving his assigned area due to the heat.

“Before [Trump] he continued to speak… to be clear, [Crooks] he was determined to be suspicious. There was no information that he had a weapon,” Paris noted. One of the reasons he was believed to be a suspect was that he “was walking and not entering the scene.”

“Just for some context, there were more than 100 people that day who needed or required medical attention because of the heat, there was a six-year-old boy missing,” the commissioner added.

Representative Mark Green asked Paris to provide more details about the security operation surrounding the event.

.@HomelandGOP welcomes the opportunity to speak with state and local officials and members of law enforcement, some of whom were on the scene and witnessed the events of that tragic day. My questions for Colonel Christopher L. Paris, Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police: pic.twitter.com/FwYdZLbbeU

— Rep. Mark Green (@RepMarkGreen) July 23, 2024

Writer/Columnist

Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for truth in a world of fake news has brought her to BizPac Review.

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