U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), who released the messages, reportedly acquired them from the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit (BCESU). One of the two screenshots came from a group chat of BCESU officers, while a second screenshot came from a BCESU counter-sniper leaving his shift at about 4:30 p.m. – almost 90 minutes before Trump took the stage.
The counter-sniper warned fellow officers that a man, later identified as Crooks, had parked close to their vehicle. "Someone followed our lead and snuck in and parked by our cars, just so you know," the counter-sniper's message read.
A follow-up message stated that Crooks was about 50 yards from the rally's exit, sitting at a picnic table – which two other counter-snipers acknowledged with a thumbs-up emoji and an affirmative reply. About 45 minutes later at 5:10 p.m., officers flagged that Crooks was on the move and had positioned himself close to the American Glass Research (AGR) building. Crooks would later roost himself on top of the building to target the former president.
While Crooks waited, an officer took a picture of the 20-year-old suspect. The picture displayed Crooks leaning against the AGR building with his signature greasy shoulder-length hair and gray t-shirt.
"Kid learning around building we are in," an officer wrote in a text message, together with an image of Crooks. "AGR, I believe it is. I did see him with a rangefinder looking towards stage. FYI. If you [want to] notify [Secret Service] snipers to look out." (Related: Trump shooter spotted with a RANGEFINDER ahead of assassination attempt – but no one stopped him.)
"I lost sight of him," the same officer said before sending a follow-up message saying: "Call it in to command and have a uniform check it out." By 6:11 p.m., nearly one hour after the last text message was sent, Crooks would be killed by a counter sniper after he fired upon the rally attendees.
Crooks planned his failed assassination attempt on Trump
The messages obtained by Grassley provide insight on the crucial moments before the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. It also showed how Crooks displayed important forethought and preparation. The 20-year-old would-be assassin Crooks managed to get ahead of the Secret Service, utilizing modern tactics and complete research.
He explored the rally site a day before the event, employing a drone to examine the area, while the Secret Service did not use drone surveillance. Crooks accurately planned his attack, even investigating historical assassinations. He found that Lee Harvey Oswald was about 265 feet away when he shot President John F. Kennedy in 1963 and discovered a viewpoint about 400 feet from Trump, which the Secret Service left unchecked.
The released messages also emphasize the confusion among law enforcement about Crooks' actions even after the incident ended. Despite the presence of counter snipers, Crooks positioned himself to watch their movements, suggesting a complicated level of planning and situational awareness.
Trump was scraped by a bullet on his ear while three attendees were also shot, including the 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, who was killed protecting his family from danger. David Dutch and James Copenhaver also suffered critical injuries after being shot at the rally. Dutch was discharged from the hospital on July 24, while Copenhaver was discharged on July 26.
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