The story of Matthew Crooks, the young man who tried to assassinate former President and current Presidential candidate Donald J. Trump, keeps getting stranger. Now it appears that Crooks’ father called the police before the shooting on Saturday the 12th of July to report concerns about his son.
Crooks’ father called police when he became worried about his son’s whereabouts, according to a source in law enforcement who spoke to CBS News. It is, as yet, unclear when exactly the call was placed, beyond the fact that it was placed before the shooting. No transcripts of the call, nor reports of its exact contents, have yet leaked to the public other than the fact that Crooks’ parents, Mary and Matthew, both became worried when their son disappeared without warning or explanation.
According to reports published by the Associated Press and the Washington Post, Crooks’ browser history revealed searches about major depressive disorder. The searches also reportedly focused on the Democratic National Convention, which is scheduled to take place in August. His phone contained saved images of President Joe Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland, former President Trump, and FBI Director Chris Wray.
Crooks gained access to a roof inside the security perimeter by climbing on top of its air conditioning units. He was killed by a Secret Service sniper approximately sixteen seconds after he opened fire. The incident wounded several bystanders and killed one, in addition to wounding former President Trump. Investigators have not yet publicly spoken of their beliefs about Crooks’ motive.
This is yet another in a string of worrying revelations about the event. Law enforcement, it seems, had a number of opportunities to prevent the shooting but acted on none of them. As a result, the U.S. Secret Service, the agency that has ultimate responsibility for site security during Presidential campaign events, is coming under increasing scrutiny as more revelations hit the public. The head of the Secret Service is now facing multiple demands for her resignation.
