Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks was 'spotted on roof 26 minutes' before assassination attempt

Donald Trump's would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks was spotted connected nan tile 26 minutes earlier he opened fire, a bombshell caller study claims.

Cops astatine nan segment noticed Crooks, 20, connected apical of nan building conscionable 130 yards distant from nan rally shape and took 2 photos of him because he was acting suspiciously, sources told WPXI.

It's not clear if he had nan AR-style firearm connected him erstwhile he was first seen aliases if he stayed connected nan tile for nan full time.

The shocking caller allegations surfaced arsenic authorities and nan U.S. Secret Service look mounting questions complete really Crooks was capable to sprout nan erstwhile president and termination a personnel of nan rally crowd.

Law enforcement astatine nan arena successful Butler, Pennsylvania are facing aggravated scrutiny aft it was revealed nan tile was flagged arsenic a information 'vulnerability'

The section Pennsylvania sheriff defended nan constabulary serviceman who confronted Crooks connected nan tile moments earlier nan shooting.

Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe confirmed connected Monday that 1 of his equipped officers encountered nan gunman seconds earlier he unleashed carnage connected nan erstwhile president's rally.

The cop, who has not been named, retreated erstwhile Crooks pointed his AR-style firearm astatine him.

Slupe defended nan determination and told KDKA he would 'have done nan aforesaid thing.'

'All I cognize is nan serviceman had some hands connected nan tile to get up connected nan roof, ne'er made it because nan shooter had turned towards nan officer, and rightfully and smartly, nan serviceman fto go.

'I mean, group deliberation nan officers are supermen for illustration you clasp connected nan tile pinch 1 manus while you are hanging connected for beloved life and propulsion a weapon out. It doesn't activity that way.

Slupe besides said that members of his section were alerted to Crooks' suspicious behaviour earlier nan rally began and started searching for him correct away.

Local police, not nan Secret Service, swept nan building, but Crooks was still capable to climb to nan apical and return purpose astatine nan erstwhile president.

Slupe acknowledged that Crooks was successful nan 'secondary ring' of protection erstwhile he opened fire.

He said nan Secret Service is responsible for nan ringing instantly astir nan president, but section constabulary return power of nan outer ring.

The erstwhile president, 78, survived nan horrifying assassination effort erstwhile nan slug missed him by little than an inch connected Saturday afternoon.

It came 8 minutes aft he took nan shape astatine 6:03pm ET, wherever Trump began his remarks and pointed to a ample schematic successful nan aforesaid guidance wherever nan shooter was perched atop an AGR International building.

Even earlier he took nan stage, Trump supporters said they spotted nan gunman 'bear-crawling' crossed nan tile pinch a rifle, but claimed their warnings to Secret Service were ignored.

'I’m reasoning to myself "Why is Trump still speaking, why person they not pulled him disconnected nan stage,''' 1 witnesser told nan BBC. 'The adjacent point you know, 5 shots ringing out.'

With nan sun still precocious connected a agleam day, Trump emerged to 'God Bless nan USA' playing complete nan loudspeakers astatine 6:03pm, and remained waving and shaking his fist astatine nan crowd for respective minutes.

Trump brought retired a ample schematic pinch statistic connected nan migrant situation astatine nan confederate border, and told nan crowd astatine 6:11pm: 'That chart's a mates of months old...'

'If you want to really spot thing that's sad, return a look astatine what happened,' Trump continued - earlier he abruptly grabbed nan broadside of his caput arsenic respective 'pops' filled nan arena space.

The 78-year-old dropped to nan level successful an instant arsenic 5 much shots rang overhead successful speedy succession, earlier 4 Secret Service agents raced to nan shape and dove connected apical of nan erstwhile president.

Stunning images showed Trump cowered connected nan level arsenic agents protected him, pinch humor dripping down his cheek.

Several much Secret Service agents continued to flood nan stage, while 4 heavy equipped officers lined nan perimeter ordering attendees to 'get down.'

The sniper, sat 400ft crossed from nan rally connected an exposed rooftop, fired different changeable astatine nan shape a 2nd later while Trump fans streamed retired of nan bleachers.

Secret Service scrambled to return power of nan pandemonium wherever 3 attendees were hit, 1 fatally, wrong a matter of seconds.

An emergency room expert pinch humor spattered connected his garment later said he sprang into action to execute emergency CPR connected 1 victim.

'The feline had spun astir was jammed betwixt nan benches and a caput changeable here. There's tons of humor and he had encephalon matter,' he told CBS News.

'So I sewage him together truthful I sewage group location really helpful. I did CPR thorax compressions arsenic well.'