Trump rally shooter was spotted by security 90 minutes before attack: Report

Former US President Donald Trump has agreed to be interviewed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as part of its probe into the July 13 assassination attempt at his Pennsylvania rally.

The FBI, in a call with the media on Monday, stated that it would be "a standard victim interview we do for any other victim of crime.".

"We want to get his perspective on what he observed," FBI Special Agent Kevin Rojek was quoted as saying by the BBC in its report.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, new details around the assassination attempt surfaced through a text message between local security units, obtained by Republican senator Chuck Grassley, the New York Times reported. As per the message, a local law enforcement official had spotted the would-be assassin, Thomas Matthews Crooks, 30 minutes earlier than other officials had stated before.

Thomas Crooks, as per the text message, was spotted loitering in the area where the counter-snipers were deployed more than 90 minutes before the shooting took place.

According to a report in The Times, at around 4:26 p.m., a vigilant countersniper swiftly alerted his colleagues to the presence of Crooks. Notably, Crooks had positioned his vehicle in proximity to the counter-snipers' vehicles and was observed sitting on a picnic table adjacent to the warehouse. This location fell outside the fenced perimeter of the grounds where former President Trump was scheduled to make an appearance later that day.

The counter-sniper told his colleagues that Thomas Crooks knew that they were there and saw him leaving with his rifle.

One of the countersnipers clicked pictures of Crooks, and the photo was shared in a group chat. Another text, stating that they should inform the Secret Services, went out among local officials at around 5:38 p.m..

“Kids are learning around the building we are in. AGR, I believe it is. I did see him with a rangefinder looking towards the stage. FYI. If you want to notify SS snipers to look out, I lost sight of him,” one of the texts, along with pictures of Crooks, was quoted by the New York Times in its report.

By 6:11 pm, the "kid" would be dead on the roof of a warehouse connected with one the counter-snipers were stationed in after being shot by the Secret Services for trying to assassinate the former President.

The text messages revealed that the 20-year-old shooter was under police suspicion more than 90 minutes before the shooting, rather than about 60 minutes, as had been discussed earlier in congressional hearings.