Police snipers noticed Thomas Matthew Crooks at the site of former President Donald Trump’s July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, nearly two hours before the assassination attempt on Mr. Trump, newly released text messages reveal.
The assassination attempt—which led to former President Donald Trump’s right ear being grazed by a bullet—is the subject of several official investigations by Congress and the executive branch. On July 29, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) published several text messages sent by a counter-sniper of the Beaver County Sheriff’s Office indicating that he noticed Mr. Crooks acting suspiciously near the rally site at 4:26 p.m., which was an hour and 45 minutes before shots were fired at 6:11 p.m.
