Counter snipers were aware of Trump shooter 90 minutes before attack

 Daily Mail:

A series of bombshell text messages from countersnipers who were supposed to protect Donald Trump at the Pennsylvania rally where an assassin's bullet nearly killed the president showed them a step behind the gunman. 

A massive inquiry has started in the wake of the attempt, which Trump miraculously survived, with the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle coming soon after the July 13 shooting.

Now, it appears a group chat of those meant to protect Trump were aware that gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was in their midst over 90 minutes before Trump was shot at, rather than an hour as the FBI had previously claimed. 

When one of the three countersnipers was about to call off at the end of their shift at around 4:26pm, they noticed a man who they later confirmed to be Crooks sitting on a picnic table.

'Guys I am out. Be safe,' he wrote. 'Someone followed our lead and snuck in and parked by our cars just so you know. I'm just letting you know because you see me go out with my rifle and put it in my car so he knows you guys are up there,' he wrote.

He added that Crooks was 'sitting to the direct right on a picnic table about 50 yards from the exit' in a message sent at 4:27pm, a little over 90 minutes before the gunman fired.

...

There is much more.  The story does not indicate why the Secret Service did not respond to the information or whether the counter snipers called the threat to the Trump protection detail.  I think Congress will have many questions about why responding to the threat took so long. 

See also:

Newly surfaced texts show Trump rally gunman was on authorities’ radar more than 90 minutes before shooting: report

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