Police were suspicious of Donald Trump's attempted assassin last Saturday more than an hour before the attack, according to private law enforcement briefings provided to House and Senate members. Wednesday’s briefings offered some of the most detailed information to date on what happened in the run-up to the shooting at a Pennsylvania campaign rally. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) said gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks was identified as suspicious around 5 p.m., more than an hour before the shooting. “They said that he had a backpack and what they classified as a range finder,” Mullin said, the Wall Street Journal reports. “They did lose him,” Mullin said, “because they said they were actively looking for him for 19 minutes before the shots rang out.” Crooks “was observed pretty far in advance of him shooting,” said Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Al), a member of the House Oversight Committee. “They saw someone engaged in suspicious activity.”
also were told Crooks had scouted the rally site multiple times in advance. Officials described him as “quiet, a loner.” Lawmakers were told Crooks “hated politicians as a whole.” Officials said the gunman had done internet searches on Trump and President Biden as well as the Democratic National Convention. Crooks used several encrypted platforms that officials haven’t been able to access. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) said after the briefing that law-enforcement officials should be more forthcoming with the information they have. “The Biden administration can’t wait until the investigation is complete to release details,” he said. “It needs to start today.” Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is facing increased criticism of her leadership and calls to step down. “The nation deserves answers and accountability,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) posted on X after senators were briefed. “New leadership at the Secret Service would be an important step in that direction.”