BREAKING: Secret Service Snapped Picture Of Shooter Scoping Out Rally Grounds ONE HOUR Before Attempt

Just one hour before a deadly torrent of rifle rounds was fired at former President Donald Trump on Saturday, the Secret Service engaged with the shooter and even snapped a photo of him scoping out the perimeter of a rally where he ultimately perched and fired from before being shot and killed himself.

Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old high school graduate who attempted to assassinate President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, was spotted crawling on the ground and looking for a prime vantage point where he could obtain the best view shortly before Trump walked on stage. A final photo of Crooks exclusively obtained by the New York Post shows him wearing glasses and looking to his left, almost behind him toward the photographer, as he is seen with his hands on the ground. The photograph was taken at approximately 5:30 p.m. local time and sent to law enforcement suggesting suspicious activity, the outlet added. An officer attempted to locate Crooks at the spot where the photo was taken but could not find him.

Chilling photo of would-be Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks taken by sniper nearly an hour before attempted assassination https://t.co/txJ8UE5TT2 pic.twitter.com/QM1bNBgPUQ

— New York Post (@nypost) July 17, 2024

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At approximately 6:11 p.m. Crooks fired the first round from his AR-15 assault rifle from a roof approximately 400 feet from the stage, clipping the former president’s left ear before Trump was tackled to the floor by Secret Service agents.

Postmortem photos show Crooks’ lifeless body near a cell phone and remote detonator which authorities suspected was intended to activate explosives in his car, potentially meant to carry out an explosion that might have distracted authorities from his position.

When Crooks was photographed, he was seen using a rangefinder while looking at his phone, raising further questions about why officers did not immediately act on the information. The tool is often used by hunters and target shooters when determining the distance and trajectory for long-range shots.

A working theory put forward by investigators is that Crooks first went to his vehicle to obtain the AR-15 rifle that he had stolen from his father. Just seconds before the first round was fired, a local officer encountered Crooks on the roof, only to retreat back down a ladder after the young man pointed his firearm at them. The FBI is investigating the failed interception which has reportedly left local police furious with their colleague.

In addition to grazing Trump, Crooks shot and killed 50-year-old Corey Comperatore who was seated behind the former president as part of a small crowd. He reportedly shouted “Get down!” and used his body to shield his wife and daughter before being killed. Two others on the stage were wounded and remain in critical condition. The wife of Comperatore refused to accept a condolence call from President Joe Biden later that weekend.

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