Local SWAT snipers spotted Trump rally gunman for nearly two hours before the attempted assassination, texts show

Text messages show local snipers spotted the gunman earlier than was previously believed.

by Aaron Katersky, Sasha Pezenik Leah Sarnoff, Aaron Katersky

29 Jul 2024 at 02:35 03:35 AM

A local SWAT Sniper spotted the suspect shooter at Trump’s deadly rally a little earlier than identified, according to messages that ABC News obtained from ABC News.

On the 13th of July, according to authorities, in what they believe was an attempt at assassination, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, fired at the scene at Butler, Pennsylvania, killing one person, seriously injuring two others, and leaving Trump bleeding from his right ear.

at 4:26 p.m. — almost two hours prior to when the shooting started — a sniper was leaving the area in which local SWAT members were gathered, witnessed Crooks “sitting at the exact right at a table on the picnic about 50 yards away from their exit.” in the message stated.

Check out: ABC News’ exclusive first interview with the local SWAT team in the field during the assassination of President Trump is broadcast in entirety during “Good Morning America” on July 29 beginning at 7 a.m. ET.

The text messages obtained were distributed among snipers within the American Glass Research (AGR) building which was also used as a place to stand for police officers who were in the building.

The sniper who alerted other snipers to the possibility that Crooks was in the vicinity noted that Crooks probably knew of the sniper’s position and wrote, “because you see me take my rifle out and then put the gun in my vehicle and he’s aware that the snipers are in there.”

Just over an hour after that and in the same time frame, according to ABC News previously reported, an individual from the same team of snipers identified Crooks as suspect — and then shortly thereafter they called it into the local command center, advising of the presence of a suspicious person.

In their first remarks to the public following the attempted assassination, members of the Beaver County SWAT team on the ground on that day as well as their supervisors spoke exclusively to ABC News Senior Investigative Correspondent Aaron Katersky.

It’s the first time that police officers on the scene during the day of July 13 have given the firsthand account of what happened.

“We were to receive an intimate briefing with Secret Service members whenever they were in town, but it did not happen,” said Jason Woods as the sharpshooter in charge of the SWAT team from Beaver County, Pennsylvania.

“So I believe that it was possibly a turning moment, when I began thinking that things weren’t right because it didn’t happen,” Woods said. “We had no communication.”

The Secret Service, whose on-site team was augmented as usual by local police, county and state law enforcement agencies is ultimately responsible for the security of the ceremony. The Washington Post reported over the weekend that Secret Service agents have complained they weren’t informed about the alerts.

Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi declined to directly respond to the remarks made by Woods and his coworkers. The Secret Service “is determined to gain a better understanding of the events that occurred prior to and during the attempted assassination of former President Trump in order to ensure that this never ever again happens. That means full cooperation with Congress and with the FBI and other investigations that are relevant.”

Beaver County Chief Detective Patrick Young who oversees his department’s Emergency Services Unit and SWAT team, has said that collaboration is crucial when lives are at stake.

“I believe that our team was able to do everything that is humanly possible the day of the game,” Young said. “We often talk about SWAT that we, as individuals, are nothing unless we work together as a group.”