A chilling image has surfaced of a cellphone and remote transmitter belonging to Thomas Matthew Crooks, the suspect in the assassination attempt on former President Trump. The devices were found near his lifeless body on the roof of a building he used as a sniper's perch.
The emergence of these devices has sent shockwaves through the investigation into the attempted assassination of former President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Obtained by Pittsburgh-based WPXI, the gray, 12-button remote and smartphone were recovered from the rooftop of the Butler building after Crooks was fatally shot by Secret Service agents.
The remote is believed to have been linked to an explosive device inside Crooks' car, but it never detonated. Investigators are probing if the device was meant to inflict damage at the site or to create a diversion during the assassination attempt.
Chilling Evidence Emerges: Cellphone and Transmitter Found Near Trump Assassination Attempt
WPXI also reported that local police had taken pictures of Crooks nearly half an hour before the incident. He first roused suspicion several hours before Trump took the stage after passing through security in possession of a rangefinder, according to CNN. The device is often used by target shooters and hunters to determine the distance of long-range shots.
According to WPXI, local police later saw Crooks on the roof around 5:45 p.m., took his picture, and alerted colleagues. A local officer then confronted Crooks directly just moments before he began squeezing off shots, but he fell from the rooftop when the would-be assassin pointed his AR-style rifle at him.
Chilling Evidence Emerges: Cellphone and Transmitter Found Near Trump Assassination Attempt
Crooks' shots whizzed past Trump's head and tore at his ear, while another bullet fatally struck volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore, who went to the rally with his wife and children. Crooks, who reportedly climbed on top of the building by stepping on an air conditioning unit, told his boss at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center that he needed the day off because he had "something to do," according to CNN.
He said he would likely be back at work on Sunday, but he was cut down by Secret Service snipers after firing at Trump. Critics have blasted Secret Service officials for failing to have any personnel on top of the building Crooks shot from.
Chilling Evidence Emerges: Cellphone and Transmitter Found Near Trump Assassination Attempt
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said the roof was not manned because it was too slanted. However, former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino has disputed this claim, saying that there was ample time to secure the roof before the rally began.
The investigation into the assassination attempt is ongoing. The motive behind the attack remains unknown, and investigators are still trying to determine if Crooks acted alone or was part of a larger conspiracy.
Chilling Evidence Emerges: Cellphone and Transmitter Found Near Trump Assassination Attempt
The chilling evidence of the cellphone and transmitter found near Crooks' body serves as a grim reminder of the potential for violence in today's political climate. It is a stark illustration of the lengths to which some individuals are willing to go to silence those with opposing views.
