Stunning Detail Discovered on Roof Near Trump Shooter's Body, Shows Attack Could've Been a Lot Worse

A remote bomb detonator was discovered near Thomas Matthew Crooks' body on the rooftop where he attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Authorities retrieved a gray, 12-button remote and a cellphone from the top of the AGR International, Inc. building, located just outside the rally grounds, as reported by Pittsburgh station WPXI.

"The transmitter is believed to have been connected to an explosive device found inside Crooks’ car, as investigators suggested that he had planned to stage a distraction during the shooting," according to the New York Post.

Had Crooks succeeded in creating this "distraction," the shooting could have been significantly worse.

Podcast host Matt Tardio, a former sniper in the U.S. Army’s Special Forces, posted on X that Crooks appeared to have acquired a detonator for a specific firing system.

CNN reported that Saturday would have typically been a workday for Crooks, but he informed his boss he needed the day off because he had "something to do."

"By 3 p.m. on Saturday, Thomas Matthew Crooks was at the security screening area for the Trump rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania. He first aroused suspicion when he passed through the magnetometers carrying a rangefinder, which looks similar to a small pair of binoculars and is used by hunters and target shooters to measure distances when setting up a long-range shot, according to a senior law enforcement official briefed on the investigation," the news outlet stated.

"The rangefinder would not have prevented Crooks from getting through the security screening point, but it did attract the attention of security personnel who kept an eye on him until he left the secure area," CNN added.

WPXI reported that local police photographed Crooks on the AGR International roof at around 5:45 p.m.

An officer then approached the roof, and Crooks aimed an AR-style gun at the lawman, causing the officer to retreat.

Crooks then opened fire at 6:11 p.m., prompting a Secret Service counter-sniper to shoot and kill him.

CNN reported that two remote-controlled explosive devices, three fully-loaded magazines, and a bulletproof vest were found in Crooks' car.

The Secret Service's swift response may have prevented Crooks from detonating the explosives in his car.