The father of the gunman who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump alerted the police prior to the shooting on Saturday due to concerns about his son, according to media reports.
This call is one of several warning signs that law enforcement was informed about before the gunshots were fired at Trump’s Pennsylvania rally. The US Secret Service, in particular, is facing increasing scrutiny over security measures, with some lawmakers demanding the resignation of the agency’s head.
Matthew Crooks’ father contacted the police because he was worried about his son and his whereabouts, a law enforcement source told the BBC’s news partner CBS. The exact timing of the call is unclear, but it occurred before the shooting.
It remains uncertain what Crooks’ father conveyed to the police. Fox News reported that Crooks’ parents, Mary and Matthew, informed officers they were concerned about their son and that he had disappeared without any advance notice.
The FBI has stated that both parents are cooperating with the investigation.
Law enforcement sources have disclosed to US media that the gunman had conducted online searches related to major depressive disorder and the Democratic National Convention scheduled for August.
He also saved images of Trump, President Joe Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Chris Wray, and a member of the British Royal Family, according to reports from the Washington Post and Associated Press.
Investigators are still working to determine a motive for the 20-year-old gunman, who was shot dead by Secret Service snipers after opening fire. His attack resulted in the death of one rally attendee and injuries to several others.
The preliminary investigation revealed that Crooks climbed onto the roof of a nearby building outside the rally by scaling an air conditioning unit, according to an unnamed official who spoke to CBS.
About 20 minutes before the attack began, a counter sniper alerted the US Secret Service to a suspicious man using a rangefinder, as informed to members of Congress by law enforcement this week.
A rangefinder is a device used to measure the distance to a target.
Local police initially noticed the gunman, who was behaving oddly and carrying a backpack, approximately an hour before the shooting. They lost sight of him in the crowd but he was later spotted again by the sniper.
Officers were alerted via radio about the suspicious individual and searched the area where Crooks had positioned his rifle on a rooftop.
After finding no one initially, one officer decided to check the roof. The officer was hoisted up by a colleague and came face-to-face with the suspect, Butler Township Manager Tom Knights told CBS.
The suspect pointed a rifle at him, and the officer, who was in a “defenseless” position, let go from the roof and fell to the ground.
He then alerted others to the gunman. Moments later, the shooting commenced.
Law enforcement did not see a weapon when Crooks was in the crowd, and officials are investigating how his AR-style rifle went unnoticed.
Investigators are exploring various theories, including that Crooks may have stashed the rifle near the air conditioning units earlier in the day or somehow smuggled it in his backpack.
Officials state that retracing his steps in the hours leading up to the attack will be crucial in understanding how the shooting unfolded.
Officials told CBS that the semi-automatic rifle he used had been legally purchased by Crook’s father in 2013.
When the gunman was found, he was carrying a remote detonator and his car contained explosives, law enforcement sources have told US media.
It continues to remain unclear what motivated the attack, and whether any political ideology is to blame.