Texts released by Iowa senator indicate struggle to staff Trump rally
Text messages sent five days before the rally for former President Donald Trump at the Butler Farm Show grounds point to an emergency services unit struggling to staff the event.
Five days before the rally, the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit was assigned to cover the event with Butler County’s ESU. A text in a group chat announced their assistance had been requested on July 8.
“It is probably going to be a 12 hour detail,” the text reads, in part. “Right now I am looking for 6 guys available. If absolutely needed we can split the shift.”
“I understand if we can’t support a standby like this,” another text reads.
As team leaders in the group chat discussed members’ availability, they shared that some were either working, on vacation or injured.
“We may advise Butler to have us ON CALL,” one message said.
“We have a little bit of time to see if we can to this,” another read.
The screenshots of the text messages were released Monday, July 29 by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, together with bodycam footage, law enforcement briefing materials and an after-action report.
According to further text messages, Thomas Matthew Crooks was spotted nearly two hours before the shooting July 13.
A Beaver County ESU member spotted Crooks sitting at a picnic table as he was leaving his shift stationed at the American Glass Research complex.
“Someone followed our lead and snuck in and parked by our cars just so you know,” the message read, sent at 4:26 p.m. to remaining Beaver and Butler snipers in the AGR building, according to a report compiled by Beaver County ESU.
“... he knows you guys are up there,” a second message read. “He’s sitting to the direct right on a picnic table about 50 yards from the exit.”
The message in reply was a thumbs-up emoji. Another text read, “Roger that.”
At 5:38 p.m., a Beaver County sniper sent photos of Crooks to the Beaver, Butler and Washington snipers group chat.
About 35 minutes later, snipers fired at Crooks, killing the 20-year-old shooter from Bethel Park, but not before Crooks squeezed the trigger of his AR-15 on the roof of the AGR building, killing Buffalo Township resident Corey Comperatore and injuring three others, including Trump, in an attempted assassination of the former president.
“Kid learning around building we are in,” a text sent at 5:38 p.m. said. “AGR I believe it is. I did see him with a range finder looking towards stage. FYI. If you wanna notify SS snipers to look out. I lost sight of him. Also a bike with backpack sitting next to it in rear of building that was not seen earlier.”
“Call it in to command and have a uniform check it out,” the reply stated.
At 5:45 p.m., a Beaver County sniper then sent photos of Crooks to the Beaver County ESU group chat, confirming they had sent the pictures to “command.”
“They’re asking for a direction of travel,” the sniper was asked at 5:59 p.m. in the group chat.
The sniper replied they were unsure of Crooks’ direction.
The report states the suspect was seen at 6:05 p.m. with a backpack and was moving in the direction of Sheetz. The information was communicated by radio while a Butler ESU sniper remained in place at their position.
Between 6:06 and 6:12 p.m., the report stated, an ESU member met with patrol downstairs of the AGR building to inform them the suspect was around the building. Two vehicles — one marked, the other unmarked — pulled in.
Gunshots fired from the AGR roof at 6:12 p.m.
