A recent incident at former President Trump's Pennsylvania rally has raised questions about the security measures in place. Text messages obtained by Fox News Digital from Senator Chuck Grassley revealed that law enforcement officers responsible for monitoring the event spotted the would-be assassin, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, and flagged him as suspicious at least 90 minutes before he opened fire.
The messages, originally obtained from the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit, showed that officers noticed Crooks using a range finder but did not approach him. One screenshot from a group chat of Beaver ESU officers indicated that Crooks had parked near their vehicles and was later seen sitting at a picnic table near the rally's exit.
As Crooks moved closer to the rally and positioned himself on top of a nearby building, officers continued to monitor his actions. A picture of Crooks was circulated among law enforcement, and a counter-sniper eventually took him down after he opened fire on the rally attendees.
The incident resulted in the injury of three rallygoers, including Trump himself, who was grazed by a bullet on his ear. Sadly, Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old firefighter, was killed while trying to protect his family from the danger.
The newly surfaced texts provide a detailed timeline of when law enforcement first spotted Crooks, updating the previously known time by about 30 minutes. Both David Dutch and James Copenhaver, who were injured at the rally, have since been discharged from the hospital.