Details around Trump Rally shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks continue to surface. Investigators learned that the sniper left behind a chilling final message.
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On Steam, the popular gaming platform, Crooks allegedly wrote: "July 13 will be my premiere, watch as it unfolds." Additionally, they found several searches on Crooks' laptop. These included searches for both Trump and Biden. He also reportedly searched when the DNC convention was and when Trump was having a rally.
However, they didn't find that the Trump Rally shooter had any particular ideology. He left behind no manifesto, and nobody interviewed said that Crooks ever talked politics. Reportedly, investigators also found a second cellphone. They're in the process of investigating more there.
On the day of the Trump Rally shooting, Crooks' parents were concerned for their son. He didn't return home that afternoon, so his father contacted local authorities. He thought his son was a shooting range. Instead, Crooks was at the rally where he climbed onto a roof and opened fire on the crowd, injuring several and killing one.
Trump Rally Turns Deadly
The Secret Service has come under scrutiny for not anticipating the threat prior to the attack. "The buck stops with me," said United States Secret Service Director, Kimberly Cheatle
"The shooter was actually identified as a potential person of suspicion," she said. "Unfortunately, with the rapid succession of how things unfolded. By the time that individual was eventually located, they were on the rooftop and were able to fire off at the former president."
No one was posted on the roof. She said, "That building in particular has a sloped roof at its highest point. And so, you know, there's a safety factor that would be considered there. That we wouldn't want to put somebody up on a sloped roof. And so, you know, the decision was made to secure the building, from inside."
However, the director is refusing to step down from her position despite criticism from the public.
"Continuity of operations is paramount during a critical incident and U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has no intentions to step down. She deeply respects members of Congress and is fiercely committed to transparency in leading the Secret Service through the internal investigation and strengthening the agency through lessons learned in these important internal and external reviews," Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi stated.
