PA - Assassination attempt, shooting injures former POTUS Donald Trump, leaves 1 spectator deceased two in critical condition, 13 July 2024 #2

[Seattle1]

Crooks came back, sat down and looked at his phone. At that point, one of the snipers took a picture of him. Crooks took out a rangefinder and the sniper radioed to the command post. Crooks disappeared again and then came back a third time with a backpack. The snipers called in with information that he had a backpack and said he was walking towards the back of the building.

Officers believe that Crooks might have used an air conditioning unit to get on top of the roof.
By the time other officers came for backup, he had climbed on top of the building and was positioned above and behind the snipers inside the building, the officer said.

^^rsbm

This seems to confirm my earlier thought that TC had his own staging area where he stashed the gun, backpack, phone, etc. We've yet to hear that authorities located the ladder and ammo that TC purchased on Sunday morning, and the backpack too.

What is a rangefinder and what would TC be doing with this when observed by snipers?

 

[Knox]

 

[MassGuy]

^^rsbm

This seems to confirm my earlier thought that TC had his own staging area where he stashed the gun, backpack, phone, etc. We've yet to hear that authorities located the ladder and ammo that TC purchased on Sunday morning, and the backpack too.

What is a rangefinder and what would TC be doing with this when observed by snipers?

A rangefinder gives you the distance between where you are and where your target is. They're commonly used by hunters.

 

[Knox]

Gregg McCrary, a former FBI profiler who spent more than 25 years with the bureau, first as a field agent and then in the behavioral science unit, said the lack of information about Crooks, 20, poses a challenge for law enforcement.

“This guy is one of these almost invisible people that are out there,” he said. “They’re not on social media. They’re not screaming or yelling about this or that. They’re ruminating about it internally — whatever it might be. And they just decide to do this, which scares the hell out of all of us in law enforcement.”

“Some people say it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack,” he added. “That’s not really it. A better way to think about it is to try and predict which piece of hay is going to become a needle.”

Trump rally shooter leaves few clues, baffling classmates and family as authorities search for motive

Authorities said Monday that they had accessed the phone of the person who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump and had completed searches of his car and his family’s home in suburban Pittsburgh, as ongoing efforts to understand the shooter’s motives have so far come up empty.

www.nbcwashington.com

 

[Seattle1]

This just gets worse !

I would like to know the timing of when these snipers first saw Crooks. And, then following that thought, Trump was delayed in coming to the venue. He was an hour late. Why, didn't these snipers help coordinate holding Trump from taking the stage, until it was all clear? Again, complete failure on so many.

Given the officers who heard the call by the snipers and came to the building-- only to find TC was already shot/deceased, I'd say the timing of the call was soon after Trump took the stage. I believe Trump was 8 minutes into his presentation when the first shot was fired.

Also, I was not aware that Trump was an hour late. It follows that TC was still on the ground and visible to the snipers at least two different times (i.e., viewing his phone, then with backpack and rangefinder) and not on the roof for an hour plus in the heat, waiting for Trump! JMO

 

[Seattle1]

A rangefinder gives you the distance between where you are and where your target is. They're commonly used by hunters.

Thank you! TC must have been fired up that Trump was an hour late-- leaving him all dressed up for the dance and no band.

 

[Seattle1]

Gregg McCrary, a former FBI profiler who spent more than 25 years with the bureau, first as a field agent and then in the behavioral science unit, said the lack of information about Crooks, 20, poses a challenge for law enforcement.

“This guy is one of these almost invisible people that are out there,” he said. “They’re not on social media. They’re not screaming or yelling about this or that. They’re ruminating about it internally — whatever it might be. And they just decide to do this, which scares the hell out of all of us in law enforcement.”

“Some people say it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack,” he added. “That’s not really it. A better way to think about it is to try and predict which piece of hay is going to become a needle.”

Trump rally shooter leaves few clues, baffling classmates and family as authorities search for motive

Authorities said Monday that they had accessed the phone of the person who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump and had completed searches of his car and his family’s home in suburban Pittsburgh, as ongoing efforts to understand the shooter’s motives have so far come up empty.

www.nbcwashington.com

And then add TC's own parents telling authorities their son did not appear to have any friends, and that he didn't share his political views with them, and you have a really big heap of hay that may never become a needle!

I think the most relevant info I've heard thus far was from the female classmate being interviewed and who shared an honors history class with him where TC chose the assassination of JFK as one of his projects.

 

[Seattle1]

Good point. If it was about politics he wouldn’t be killing one and donating to the other.

I'm thinking too much has been made of a single, $15 designated contribution to ACTBlue when he was still age 17. IIRC, this was designated for the development of app to track voters. We know TC was said a savant about tech and computers and perhaps he was simply supporting a project that interested him and that he wanted to see developed. JMO

 

[Knox]

And then add TC's own parents telling authorities their son did not appear to have any friends, and that he didn't share his political views with them, and you have a really big heap of hay that may never become a needle!

I think the most relevant info I've heard thus far was from the female classmate being interviewed and who shared an honors history class with him where TC chose the assassination of JFK as one of his projects.

I haven’t seen that, can you share a link regarding what his parents said?

 

[Friday Fan]

I'm thinking too much has been made of a single, $15 designated contribution to ACTBlue when he was still age 17. IIRC, this was designated for the development of app to track voters. We know TC was said a savant about tech and computers and perhaps he was simply supporting a project that interested him and that he wanted to see developed. JMO

It was $15 and doesn't mean anything. But the app has been around around since 2004. It's an app that streamlines donations. He used AB to donate to a particular group. However $15 is nothing. He likely saw an ad online and it interested him on that day and clicked on it. No different than donating $15 for whatever....

 

[Tricia]

Hey Everyone,
We are closing the thread for the night

 

[Knitty]

Thread is open.

 

[Inthedetails]

And then add TC's own parents telling authorities their son did not appear to have any friends, and that he didn't share his political views with them, and you have a really big heap of hay that may never become a needle!

I think the most relevant info I've heard thus far was from the female classmate being interviewed and who shared an honors history class with him where TC chose the assassination of JFK as one of his projects.

Totally off-the-wall comment, I know.....but TC kinda sorta looks like Lee Harvey Oswald. I wonder if anyone said that to him while he was working on his JFK assassination project and a seed grew?

There is no known evidence of that, I know. I'm pondering aloud.

jmo

 

[x_files]

I see that as a huge blinking red light with a sign saying I'm going to kill Donald Trump.

It depends on the State, if it in Texas it would be a normal day.
I see guns in Starbucks, grocery stores, and everywhere. It's legal to open carry.
It depends on the laws in PA.
If he was walking on private property outside the rally it may have been legal. Complicates security situations though doesn't it?

 

[sds71]

Suspect asked to borrow dad's AR-15-style rifle​

"Over the last several months, Crooks received several packages, including some marked as possibly containing hazardous material, according to a review of his shipping history," the bulletin said...


ABC News learned that on the day of the shooting, Crooks told his father he wanted to go to a shooting range and asked if he could borrow his dad's AR15-style rifle, said a source familiar with the matter. Since the father had occasionally allowed Crooks to go target shooting with the semiautomatic firearm, he didn't think anything was suspicious when he let him use the rifle again on Saturday, the source said.

New details emerge in Trump assassination attempt investigation

The attempted assassination was being investigated as a potential act of domestic terrorism, the FBI said in a statement late Sunday.

abcnews.go.com

 

[Elley Mae]

Incredibly, not only did Crooks manage to avoid being confronted despite sticking out like a sore thumb, he secured his rooftop perch right under the noses of a local police sniper team stationed inside the building, law enforcement sources told The Post.

Would-be Trump assassin was spotted by cops twice 26 minutes before he wounded ex-prez, killed retired fire chief: report

Chilling video captured at the rally illustrates two minutes of failure behind the deadly botched security operation.

nypost.com

 

[photoprose1122]

It depends on the State, if it in Texas it would be a normal day.
I see guns in Starbucks, grocery stores, and everywhere. It's legal to open carry.
It depends on the laws in PA.
If he was walking on private property outside the rally it may have been legal. Complicates security situations though doesn't it?

Again I say, I live in Texas and I can assure you a guy walking around with an AR-15 is not a normal day.

 

[Izzylizzy]

Good point.
He could have purchased it in a store where he could have been known along with his father.
Same as James and Ethan Crumbley when the 9mmhandgun was purchased, JC was known to them.
Has TMC been to a gun range with the firearm?
I haven't looked online but where the shooters gun was bought and the ammo is usually publicized along with interviews.

BBM

'A shooting range, a gun store, and a ladder purchase: Tracking the Trump rally gunman’s movements leading up to his attack'​

snip:

The AR-style rifle Crooks used to fire on Trump was legally purchased by his father, Matthew Crooks. It was one of more than 20 firearms registered to the elder Crooks, which were kept at the family’s home, according to Pennsylvania State Police records reviewed by investigators, the official said. All of the guns were legally purchased.

The gunman and his father were members of Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, a gun club about a 25-minute drive from his house, and enjoyed going shooting there together, according to law enforcement officials. Rob Bootay, a lawyer for the club, confirmed in a statement that the younger Crooks was a member.'

https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/15/us/thomas-crooks-trump-rally-shooting-invs/index.html

 

[Leopard]

The distance between the Crooks’ home and the rally site is over 50 miles, so I’m sure no one knew him.

50 miles is a very drivable distance, I would be curious if any of the family had any ties there prior to this event.

 

[Izzylizzy]

"As investigators continue to search for a motive behind the attempted assassination, they are scrutinizing Crooks’ movements before the attack and trying to piece together a timeline of his actions leading up to it.

Yet nearly 48 hours after the shooting, investigators are struck by the lack of leads they’re finding about Crooks’ mindset and possible motives. Even after successfully breaking into his phone and searching his computer, scouring his search history and bedroom, and interviewing his family and friends, agents still haven’t found evidence that would suggest political or ideological impetus for the shooting, law enforcement sources told CNN.

Instead, the evidence they have found appears to show typical online activities including an interest in computer coding and gaming, the sources said — and that has raised more questions.

In a sign that his attack could have been even more destructive, Crooks had a remote control detonator on his body, and his car’s trunk contained a metal box of explosives that was connected with wires to a receiver, the law enforcement source said.

That suggests the gunman may have been planning to set off an explosion remotely, and investigators are considering the theory that he may have been planning a distraction during the shooting.

It’s unclear how Crooks assembled the explosive devices found in his car. Investigators parsing through his online search history haven’t found any indication of him researching how to make home-made explosives, law enforcement officials said.;

https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/15/us/thomas-crooks-trump-rally-shooting-invs/index.html