Thomas Crooks clipped former president's ear, killed volunteer fire chief at Pennsylvania rally before snipers took him out
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A chilling image has emerged of a cellphone and remote transmitter belonging to Thomas Matthew Crooks that were found near his lifeless body Saturday evening after his assassination attempt on former President Trump.
Obtained by Pittsburgh-based WPXI, the gray, 12-button remote and smartphone were recovered from the roof of the Butler, Pennsylvania, building he used as a sniper's perch.
A Secret Service team fatally blasted the murderous loner after he shot Trump in the ear and killed an innocent rally goer over the weekend.
The remote is believed to have been linked to an explosive device inside Crooks' car, but it never detonated.
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Former President Trump shooter Thomas Crooks' transmitter and cellphone, obtained by WPXI. (WPXI/ AFP handout/ AP's Gene J. Puskar)
Investigators are probing if the device was meant to inflict damage at the site or to create a diversion during the assassination attempt.
WPXI also reported that local police had taken pictures of Crooks nearly half an hour before the incident.
He first roused suspicion several hours before Trump took the stage after passing through security in possession of a rangefinder, according to CNN.
The device – similar in function to binoculars – is often used by target shooters and hunters to determine the distance of long-range shots.
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WPXI obtained a photo of Thomas Matthew Crooks' cellphone and a transmitter left near his lifeless body after his failed assassination attempt on former President Trump. (WPXI)
According to WPXI, local police later saw Crooks on the roof around 5:45 p.m., took his picture and alerted colleagues.
A local officer then confronted Crooks directly just moments before he began squeezing off shots, but he fell from the rooftop when the would-be assassin pointed his AR-style rifle at him.
Crooks' shots whizzed past Trump's head and tore at his ear, while another bullet fatally struck volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore, who went to the rally with his wife and children.
Crooks, who reportedly climbed on top of the building by stepping on an air conditioning unit, told his boss at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center that he needed the day off because he had "something to do," according to CNN.
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Former President Trump gestures with a bloodied face as multiple shots rang out during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)
He said he would likely be back at work on Sunday, but he was cut down by Secret Service snipers after firing at Trump.
Critics have blasted Secret Service officials for failing to have any personnel on top of the building Crooks shot from.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said the roof was not manned because it was too slanted.
Rebecca Rosenberg is a veteran journalist and book author with a focus on crime and criminal justice. Email tips to
