The father of the man who tried to kill Donald Trump called the police before the attack because he was worried about his son, according to media reports.
The call was one of many warnings to law enforcement before the shooting at Trump’s Pennsylvania rally on Saturday. The US Secret Service has faced criticism for not preventing the attack, with some lawmakers saying the agency’s head should resign.
Matthew Crooks’ father contacted police because he was concerned about his son’s whereabouts, a source told CBS, a BBC partner.
It’s unclear when the call was made, but it was before the shooting. Crooks’ parents, Mary and Matthew, told officers they were worried about their son and that he had disappeared without notice, according to Fox News. The FBI has said his parents are cooperating with the investigation.
Sources told US media that the gunman had searched online about major depressive disorder and the Democratic National Convention. He also saved images of Trump, President Joe Biden, and other officials, according to the Washington Post and Associated Press.
Investigators are still looking for a motive for the 20-year-old gunman, who was shot dead by Secret Service snipers after he opened fire, killing one and injuring several others.
Crooks climbed onto a nearby building’s roof to carry out the attack. A counter-sniper spotted him 20 minutes before the shooting, using a rangefinder to measure distance.
Local police had seen him acting strangely an hour before but lost him in the crowd. When an officer later confronted Crooks on the roof, he pointed a rifle at the officer, who then alerted others just before the shooting began.
Law enforcement is investigating how Crooks managed to bring an AR-style rifle to the rally without being seen.
They are trying to determine if he had stashed it earlier or smuggled it in his backpack. The semi-automatic rifle was legally bought by Crooks’ father in 2013.
When found, Crooks had a remote detonator, and his car contained explosives, according to law enforcement.
Officials are still trying to understand Crooks’ motives and whether any political ideology played a role. The timeline of events leading to the attack shows several missed opportunities by law enforcement to prevent the shooting.
Credit: BBC.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv2gr0nm0lzo