Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel, Pennsylvania, attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler on July 13. Crooks scaled a roof mere yards from the stage where Trump was speaking, armed with a sniper rifle and a lethal intent. Although he missed his mark by mere millimeters, the gravity of the situation lies in the shocking lapses in security.
The Secret Service had identified a potential vulnerability in the building but failed to conduct a sweep, despite the proximity to the stage. Additionally, snipers in the adjacent building failed to take action for two minutes after Crooks took aim, and the other Secret Service sniper team had him in their sights during that time.
The agency knew about a potential threat to Trump 10 minutes before he took the stage but chose to allow him to proceed. It’s unclear why the Secret Service delayed their response, but the outcome was almost disastrous.
The FBI initially maintained that the motive behind Crooks’ actions was unknown, sparking suspicions about their investigation. However, reports have surfaced suggesting that Crooks was a self-proclaimed “Trump hater” and had expressed dislike for the former president’s policies.
One of Crooks’ classmates, Vincent Taormina, alleged that Crooks had made anti-Hispanic and anti-Trump remarks in the past. Taormina recalled a conversation where Crooks asked why he, as a Hispanic person, shouldn’t hate Trump, insinuating that he was “stupid” for supporting the president.
Despite the alarming revelations, the FBI insists that they have found no evidence linking Crooks to a particular ideology. According to Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich, investigators discovered searches on Crooks’ laptop for Trump, Biden, and dates related to the Democratic National Convention, but none of these searches appear to have a specific political motivation.
