Failed Trump assassin spotted with rangefinder hours before shooting

The man who tried to take out former President Donald Trump had been lurking at the rally site three hours before he unleashed gunfire on the GOP figurehead.

Thomas Matthew Crooks , whose disappearance was flagged by his parents in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as per Fox News, would later come terrifyingly close to assassinating Trump, instead fatally shooting a supporter and wounding two others amidst the chaos at a Butler rally.

Crooks, spotted at the venue three hours prior to the event, raised eyebrows among security for carrying a rangefinder, an incident captured as he went through magnetometers, according to CNN.

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Rangefinders, akin to compact binoculars and commonly used by hunters, sparked a brief concern among the security team until he exited the secured zone. CNN also learned from an official that Crooks was seen atop the American Glass Research building, which he later used as his vantage point, by a counter-sniper squad. The official revealed: "They were looking at him while he was looking at them."

Moreover, WTAE has obtained new video footage showing Crooks eerily skulking near the stage where Trump delivered his speech, intensifying scrutiny over the rally's security measures.

Amidst ongoing scrutiny , it's noted that Crooks, aged 20, was a mere 135 metres from Trump when he began shooting. Heightened security measures had been implemented for Trump at this event due to a previously identified threat originating from Iran.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has announced the formation of a task force to probe into the security lapses during the assassination attempt. In addition, Congressman James Comer, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, has issued a subpoena to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, demanding her presence before the committee on Monday.

"The assassination attempt of the former President and current Republican nominee for president represents a total failure of the agency's core mission and demands Congressional oversight," Comer stated in a letter addressed to Cheatle. Cheatle had previously assured that the agency will cooperate with congressional committees and also a review ordered by President Joe Biden.

In related news, Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger informed The Washington Post that the Secret Service was aware that local police "did not have the manpower to assist with securing " a crucial building later utilized by Crooks to position himself for his shots fired towards Trump. A Secret Service official confirmed this to the newspaper, speaking under the condition of anonymity.