Sharyl: I’m a former FBI Intel Analyst and retired Army Lieutenant Colonel branched Military Intelligence / Counterintelligence and have formed an assessment regarding the assassin I’d like you to read. This assessment is based on numerous OSINT reports of all varieties I’ve examined over the last 48 hours:
BLUF: I assess with high confidence Thomas Matthew Crooks was leading a “double life” which allowed him to operate in a manner conducive for planning then executing the assassination of the former president while maintaining (for outward appearances), all the characteristics/pattern of life behaviors he was known for, particularly when he was in the presence of family members, friends, and/or other associates who might become worried, overly inquisitive, or even somewhat alarmed if his personality, daily habits, and/or established routines underwent noticeable change.
Furthermore, it’s very likely Crooks visited the Trump rally site on more than one occasion prior to the event. During one of these visits he stashed/concealed a semiautomatic rifle (AR-15) in close proximity to the rooftop sniper position he would later occupy. The lack of reporting, eyewitness or otherwise, of his whereabouts just before the shooting began indicates he remained fairly inconspicuous until he scaled the roof and started “bear crawling” to his firing position. His movements were deliberate, likely rehearsed and he never attracted unwanted attention to himself until after he was exposed on the roof mere moments before the shooting began. His clothing was ordinary, gray in color, and he didn’t wear a hat. He carried no identification on his person, likely because he knew he was going to die in place. He covered his physical, digital, and electronic footprints/tracks extremely well, and for lengthy periods of time, likely months. The FBI is going to have trouble piecing this all together because it’s looking a lot like the Vegas mass shooter situation from a few years ago, except this young man armed with a high powered rifle somehow managed to get within 150 yards (close range) of a former U.S. president at a site which exhibited a “heavy state and local law enforcement presence” working under the purview of the Secret Service, and in broad daylight while fully exposed on a rooftop that had line of sight to an adjacent counter sniper team, fired multiple shots in the direction of the former president from his AR-15 before he was neutralized. That seems to indicate Crooks acquired some serious skills/training/tradecraft in order to conduct an operation of this nature not to mention his numerous tactical movements leading up to it. Yet somehow an unassuming 20 year old “nerdy looking dude” with no military background, who lived with his parents and liked mathematics, pulled it off all by himself. The Feds definitely have their hands full with this one because Mr. Crooks had a lot more going on than met the eye, and it appears to me he wasn’t so much indoctrinated as he was “cultivated”. If I’m correct, that means there’s more “people” like Thomas Matthew Crooks out there right now.
You will need to hire at least two staffers to maintain, change, and expand your timeline as the damn story changes, it seems, every five minutes. Keep up your great work.
You say that Thomas Crooks was identified as a person of interest on Thursday, July 11th. After extensive searching, I have not seen been able to find any reports of this. 1) Where does this information come from? 2) Why was Crooks a person of interest on the 11th? 3) Which agency was interested in him (local police, FBI, Secret Service, etc.). Thanks!
Sharyl: I’m a former FBI Intel Analyst and retired Army Lieutenant Colonel branched Military Intelligence / Counterintelligence and have formed an assessment regarding the assassin I’d like you to read. This assessment is based on numerous OSINT reports of all varieties I’ve examined over the last 48 hours:
BLUF: I assess with high confidence Thomas Matthew Crooks was leading a “double life” which allowed him to operate in a manner conducive for planning then executing the assassination of the former president while maintaining (for outward appearances), all the characteristics/pattern of life behaviors he was known for, particularly when he was in the presence of family members, friends, and/or other associates who might become worried, overly inquisitive, or even somewhat alarmed if his personality, daily habits, and/or established routines underwent noticeable change.
Furthermore, it’s very likely Crooks visited the Trump rally site on more than one occasion prior to the event. During one of these visits he stashed/concealed a semiautomatic rifle (AR-15) in close proximity to the rooftop sniper position he would later occupy. The lack of reporting, eyewitness or otherwise, of his whereabouts just before the shooting began indicates he remained fairly inconspicuous until he scaled the roof and started “bear crawling” to his firing position. His movements were deliberate, likely rehearsed and he never attracted unwanted attention to himself until after he was exposed on the roof mere moments before the shooting began. His clothing was ordinary, gray in color, and he didn’t wear a hat. He carried no identification on his person, likely because he knew he was going to die in place. He covered his physical, digital, and electronic footprints/tracks extremely well, and for lengthy periods of time, likely months. The FBI is going to have trouble piecing this all together because it’s looking a lot like the Vegas mass shooter situation from a few years ago, except this young man armed with a high powered rifle somehow managed to get within 150 yards (close range) of a former U.S. president at a site which exhibited a “heavy state and local law enforcement presence” working under the purview of the Secret Service, and in broad daylight while fully exposed on a rooftop that had line of sight to an adjacent counter sniper team, fired multiple shots in the direction of the former president from his AR-15 before he was neutralized. That seems to indicate Crooks acquired some serious skills/training/tradecraft in order to conduct an operation of this nature not to mention his numerous tactical movements leading up to it. Yet somehow an unassuming 20 year old “nerdy looking dude” with no military background, who lived with his parents and liked mathematics, pulled it off all by himself. The Feds definitely have their hands full with this one because Mr. Crooks had a lot more going on than met the eye, and it appears to me he wasn’t so much indoctrinated as he was “cultivated”. If I’m correct, that means there’s more “people” like Thomas Matthew Crooks out there right now.
26 seconds AFTER the first shot. Unconscionable!
You will need to hire at least two staffers to maintain, change, and expand your timeline as the damn story changes, it seems, every five minutes. Keep up your great work.
Sneak preview of Monday’s House Oversight Hearing:
“I can’t comment on an active investigation…” repeated 200 times…
You say that Thomas Crooks was identified as a person of interest on Thursday, July 11th. After extensive searching, I have not seen been able to find any reports of this. 1) Where does this information come from? 2) Why was Crooks a person of interest on the 11th? 3) Which agency was interested in him (local police, FBI, Secret Service, etc.). Thanks!