The parents of Donald Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks are speaking out with new details about the assassination attempt. Crooks' parents were worried about him on the day of the shooting.
Crooks' father was worried that his son went missing and even phoned local law enforcement to help find him. Initially, he assumed that his son went to the shooting range at the Clairton Sportsmen's Club. He figured Crooks wanted to practice with his rifle. But when 1 p.m. rolled around on Saturday, Crooks still hadn't returned home.
Of the tragedy, The Clairton Sportsmen's Club president Bill Sellitto said that he was appalled that someone associated with the club would do something like this. "This isn't us," he said. "We are a community. We are having a youth day very soon, more than 100 kids. Members of five different police forces train with us, we support them, and they are part of our community."
When Crooks didn't return home at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Crooks' father called local law enforcement. He said that his son was missing and that he was concerned for his wellbeing. Around 3 p.m., Crooks was already at the Trump rally. Security spotted him at the security area. He tried to enter with a rangefinder. While it didn't prevent his entry, it did put him on the authorities' radar.
Police Called About Donald Trump Shooter
Prior to the shooting at the Trump rally, local authorities communicated to Secret Service that Crooks was a person of suspicion. However, no one ultimately stopped Crooks in time before the deadly shooting.
"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."
Cheatle also explained why 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."
