New details on the assassination attempt: Trump shooter classified as suspect one hour before the attack

New findings from the investigation into the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump are increasing the pressure on security forces. An hour before the shooter fired at Trump, local security guards classified the perpetrator in the crowd as suspicious – a “young man who was behaving strangely,” as the New York Times reported. The Secret Service, which protects the ex-president, was also informed. But then the suspect’s trail went cold.

At least two security guards were called in to help with the search. Around 20 minutes before the shots were fired, a sniper spotted the attacker on a roof, it said. Why the rally continued and Trump took the stage is one of many unanswered questions for the Secret Service, wrote the New York Times. The newspaper reported, citing members of Congress who had previously been informed by law enforcement officials about the status of the investigation.

The suspect had a backpack and a device for measuring distances with him, wrote John Barrasso, Senator from the state of Wyoming, on X.

The assassin was killed 26 seconds after his first shot, wrote ABC News. Before the attack, he had searched his cell phone for the date of Trump’s appearance and for photos of Trump and US President Joe Biden. The shooter had visited the venue at least once beforehand, wrote CBS News.

According to US media, there are also uncertainties regarding the security of the building from which the perpetrator fired the shots. Two days before the event, local security forces informed the Secret Service that they could not secure the building due to a lack of personnel, CBS News further reported.

Trump (78) was shot and injured in the ear at a campaign event in the state of Pennsylvania on Saturday. The FBI later identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old man from Pennsylvania.