Live updates from Senate hearing: Trump rally shooter visited site six days early
The 20-year-old man who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump visited the rally site six days ahead as part of advanced planning for the attack, according to FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate.
Abbate disclosed the July 7 visit by Thomas Matthew Crooks during testimony Tuesday at a hearing held by two Senate committees on the assassination attempt against Trump, saying Crooks was at the site for about 20 minutes in what the FBI believes was a reconnaissance visit.
Abbate also revealed that, while investigators haven't yet determined a motive, they have uncovered a social media account they think is associated with Crooks, although the account is still being verified. The account posted more than 700 comments around 2019-2020.
"Some of these comments, if ultimately attributable to the shooter, appear to reflect anti-Semitic and anti-immigration themes, to espouse political violence, and are described as extreme in nature," Abbate said during his opening remarks.
Later, Abbate committed to Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, that he would let the public and senators know if and when the FBI confirms the posts came from Crooks.
"If it is in fact the shooter that posted these comments, it's the first real indication where he's expressing what are described as extremist views and talking about political violence," Abbate said.
Shooter may also have posted left-leaning views
In response to a question from Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Abbate said he didn't want to comment on the social media platform for those posts until they were confirmed by the FBI. But he did also indicate Crooks may have posted left-leaning views through an account with conservative social media company Gab.
"We understand that the Gab account is pro-immigration, pro-lockdown leftist views. Is that accurate?" Blackburn asked.
"I haven't seen it directly, but I believe, from what I've been told, that is accurate with the Gab account," Abbate said. "We're still working to certify and verify that that's his account also, but it does have differing points of view, it would appear."
Secret Service acting Director Ronald Rowe also testified at the hearing that the service's countersniper "neutralized" Crooks within seconds after Crooks fired, and that the countersniper had full discretion to use deadly force without having to seek authorization to fire.
Rowe took over as acting director of the service after Kimberly Cheatle resigned from the role on July 23, following mounting pressure from lawmakers and many in the public.
The hearing was held jointly by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee.
'What I saw made me ashamed'
Rowe said in his opening remarks that one of his first actions as acting director was to travel to the rally's Butler farm show site to better understand the security failure. He said he laid in a prone position on the roof from which Crooks carried out his attack to evaluate Crooks' line of sight.
"What I saw made me ashamed," Rowe testified. "I cannot defend why that roof was not better secured."
Rowe said he has ordered expanded use of unmanned aerial systems to help detect threats on roofs and other elevated positions going forward. He said he has also directed resources to facilitate communications with state and local security partners.
The visit by Crooks to the site took place one day after he registered for the rally on July 6. The rally wasn't announced until July 3.
Timeline: Crooks photographed almost an hour before shooting
Abbate provided a detailed timeline of Crooks' final hours and minutes, offering the latest evidence of the many law enforcement personnel who had Crooks on their radar ahead of the shooting.
Crooks traveled from his home to a sportsman club to practice shooting the day before the attack, and visited the rally grounds themselves for about 70 minutes on the morning of his final day. After getting back home, his father gave him a rifle, believing Crooks was going back to the sportsman club, Abbate said.
But Crooks actually went to buy ammunition, and then headed to the rally area. There, he moved around the building from which he would ultimately carry out his attack, before flying a drone about 200 yards away from the farm grounds for about 11 minutes. Crooks livestreamed that flight and would have been able to view it on a controller, Abbate said.
Here's a timeline of how law enforcement surveillance of Crooks then unfolded (the times are approximate):
-4:26 p.m.: Local law enforcement reported seeing Crooks.
-5:10 p.m.: Local law enforcement identified him as a suspicious person who was around the building from which he ultimately launched his attack.
-5:14 p.m.: A local SWAT operator photographed Crooks.
-5:32 p.m.: A local SWAT saw him with a range finder near the building and browsing news sites on his phone.
-5:38 p.m.: The 5:14 p.m. photo was sent to local SWAT operators in a text message group.
-5:46 p.m.: The Secret Service command post was notified of a suspicious person, but then service officers lost sight of Crooks from about 6:02 p.m. to 6:08 p.m.
-During that gap, at about 6:06 p.m., Crooks pulled himself onto the rooftop, where he was seen by local law enforcement about two minutes later.
A local police officer was lifted by another officer to where he had a direct view of Crooks on the roof. The viewing officer radioed that Crooks was armed with "a long gun." Within 30 seconds, Crooks unleashed fire.
The FBI believes he shot eight rounds, corresponding to eight shell casings found next to his body.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Live updates from hearing: Trump shooter visited rally site in advance
