Breaking News Stories

Secret Service Tells Senators Shooter ‘Identified’ Roughly 50 Mins Before Trump Took Rally Stage, Sources Say

The U.S. Secret Service and FBI told lawmakers on Wednesday that a would-be assassin of former President Donald Trump had been identified long before shots rang out at a rally in Pennsylvania, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Federal law enforcement agencies briefed lawmakers on the details of the shooting that nearly killed President Trump on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania. During the conference call, USSS and FBI officials said the gunman, later identified as Thomas Crooks, was seen about an hour before the shooting, or about 50 minutes before President Trump was due to take the stage to speak, according to two sources familiar with the briefing.

“There was absolutely no accountability from the Secret Service,” a source familiar with the briefing told DCNF. “They identified the shooter 60 minutes before the assassination attempt.”

Additional sources familiar with the briefing confirmed this detail to the DCNF, with one of the sources saying officials told senators that Crooks had been seen with a rangefinder. (Related article: Secret Service gives conflicting explanations for security lapses ahead of assassination attempt on Trump)

Both sources familiar with the briefing said it was a major disappointment given the gravity of the issues addressed.

Another source familiar with the briefing said “several members” who wanted to ask questions over the video call were not given the opportunity. “They couldn't get basic questions answered,” the source told DCNF of the USSS and FBI.

The USSS also spotted Crooks on the roof firing shots about 20 minutes before the gunfire, ABC News reported, citing sources familiar with the briefing.

The security failures that allowed Officer Crooks to shoot President Trump multiple times at close range have raised serious questions from Republicans, who have widely and harshly criticized the USSS' actions on Saturday as one of the worst failures in the agency's history.

USSS Chief of Staff Kimberly Cheatle has come under fire for her handling of the situation. statement He told ABC News that there were no security guards present on the sloped roof where Crooks fired the shot.

The FBI and USSS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

As an independent, nonpartisan news service, all content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation is available free of charge to any legitimate news publisher with a large readership. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter byline, and affiliation with the DCNF. If you have any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.