Newly revealed text messages show that law enforcement officers monitoring former President Trump’s Pennsylvania rally identified his would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, as suspicious at least 90 minutes before he opened fire.

The messages, obtained by Fox News Digital, indicate that officers flagged Crooks after he was spotted using a range finder near the rally’s exit. Despite this, they did not approach him.

“We’ve got someone who followed our lead and snuck in and parked by our cars, just so you know,” one officer texted at 4:36 p.m. A follow-up message described Crooks as sitting at a picnic table, about 50 yards from the exit.

Later, at 5:10 p.m., officers noted that Crooks was on the move and had positioned himself near the American Glass International building, where he would eventually perch himself to target Trump.

An officer snapped a picture of Crooks, showing him leaning against the building with a range finder. “Kid lingering around building we are in… I did see him with a range finder looking towards stage. FYI. If you wanna notify SS snipers to look out,” the officer wrote.

The texts show that authorities knew about the suspicious person close to 90 minutes before the shooting, updating the previous known time of about 60 minutes. Despite this, Crooks was able to open fire on the rally, grazing Trump’s ear and killing one rallygoer, Corey Comperatore. Two others, David Dutch and James Copenhaver, were injured.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)