Sniper took photo of Trump shooter at rally, saw him using rangefinder before assassination attempt, source says

A sniper from a local tactical team deployed to assist U.S. Secret Service at former President Donald Trump’s residence gathering on saturday took a picture of the shooter and I saw him looking into a rangefinder a few minutes before he attempted assassination The former president, a local law enforcement officer with direct knowledge of the events, told CBS News.

The sniper was one of three snipers, members of local tactical teams, who were stationed inside the building the shooter used in the attack, the officer said. The plan for the operation called for them to be stationed inside, peering out windows toward the rally, scanning the crowd. Details about the three snipers were first reported by local news outlet BeaverCountian.com.

A sniper inside spotted the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, outside, looking up at the roof, observing the building and disappearing, according to the officer who spoke to CBS News. The sniper watched Crooks as he walked back to the building, sat down and looked at his phone. At that point, one of the local snipers snapped a photo of Crooks.

Then the local gunman observed Crooks looking through a rangefinder, an instrument commonly used by snipers to determine the distance to a target, and immediately radioed the command post, according to the local law enforcement officer. The local gunman also attempted to relay the gunman’s photo up the chain of command.

According to several law enforcement officials, the command post served as a hub to streamline communications between the U.S. Secret Service and local law enforcement officers from neighboring states and counties. It is unclear whether the command post received the alert.

Authorities then lost track of Crooks, who disappeared but soon returned a third time with a backpack. The local sniper team called for backup, alerting the command post that the shooter had a backpack and was heading toward the back of the building.

By the time other local officers responded to the request for backup, the shooter had scaled the building, positioning himself above and behind local snipers inside the building, the officer said.

Two other city police officers who heard the call for backup tried to climb onto the roof. Butler County Sheriff Michael Sloupe told CBS Pittsburgh station KDKA that an armed Butler Township police officer was hoisted by another officer onto the roof of the building where the shooter had taken up position. Crooks aimed his rifle at the officer, who eventually let go and fell off the roof. Moments later, the shooter began firing into the crowd.

A U.S. Secret Service sniper stationed in a building behind the former president opened fire, killing the shooter, according to multiple law enforcement officials. Two federal law enforcement agents told CBS News that the Secret Service team that ultimately killed the shooter was in a building behind Trump’s left shoulder.

A federal law enforcement bulletin obtained by CBS News identified the shooter as “an apparent lone attacker,” warning that violent extremists could attempt to carry out “follow-up or retaliatory” attacks in the coming months tied to the November election.

The shooter killed Corey Companiona firefighter. Trump and two others — David Dutch, a 57-year-old Marine Corps veteran, and James Copenhaver, 74 — were injured.