Trump Shooter Had Detonator, Potential Car Explosives: Report

Photo:  AP

A young man, later identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, attracted the attention of local law enforcement as he paced around the edges of a Donald Trump campaign rally, carrying a large backpack and peering through a rangefinder towards the rooftops behind the stage where the former president was set to speak.

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His unusual behavior stood out among the rallygoers, prompting local officers to radio their concerns and take a photo of him. However, he vanished shortly after the photo was taken. The image was circulated among officers stationed outside the security perimeter on that hot, sunny Saturday afternoon, but the man didn't reappear until witnesses saw him scaling the side of a low manufacturing building approximately 135 meters (157 yards) from the stage.

At that vantage point, six minutes after Trump began his speech, Crooks opened fire in an assassination attempt on the presumptive GOP presidential nominee. The gunman killed one rallygoer and seriously injured two others. Trump himself sustained an ear injury but was not seriously hurt, appearing just days later at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee with a small bandage over the wound.

The incident has raised numerous questions and sparked multiple investigations into both the crime and how law enforcement allowed it to occur. It's becoming evident that this was a complex failure involving multiple missteps and at least nine local and federal law enforcement agencies that were supposed to collaborate. Authorities have also warned of the potential for copycat attacks and further violence.

This account is based on interviews with eight law enforcement officials, some of whom spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigations into the attempt on Trump's life.

In addition to the gun found on Crooks' body, officers discovered a remote detonator. Explosive materials, ammunition, and a bulletproof vest were found in his car, suggesting a broader, more dangerous plan that thankfully was not realized.