Officer reported man at Trump rally with range finder 30 minutes before assassination attempt – source | 15 July 2024 | A local law enforcement officer spotted a suspicious man carrying a range finder “in or just-outside” the venue before former President Donald Trump took the stage at his rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania on Saturday night, according to a law enforcement source. The officer reported the sighting to state police, the source said. He took a photo, and there was a discussion about whether what he was carrying was a pair of binoculars to try and see the rally better. A few minutes into Trump’s remarks, a would-be assassin identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, opened fire, according to authorities… Several witnesses have also come forward in interviews and videos on social media claiming they reported seeing an armed man before the shooting started. [Apparently, it was a MIHOP (Make it Happen on Purpose) or a LIHOP (Let it Happen on Purpose). –Lori Price]