EITHER Thomas Crooks — the 20-year-old sniper who shot Donald Trump during the recent election rally in Pennsylvania — was an excellent marksman and nicked only Trump’s ear deliberately, or he missed his target’s head by accident.

Gradually, more and more details are emerging of that portentous incident which could have changed modern history. Crooks had been meticulous in his preparation. He chose the rooftop location for its uninterrupted view of the podium where Trump would stand. He flew a drone over the rally site hours before the event began. (The police have since recovered the drone.)

Crooks used an AR-15 style high-powered rifle. His first shot “came less than a quarter of an inch from entering [Trump’s] head, and struck the top of his right ear”. Having mis­sed Trump, Crooks fired multiple shots, killing a firefighter and injuring two spectators.

Lessons learned from J.F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963 came into play. A Secret Service counter sniper reacted swiftly. Although he could see “only Crooks’ gun scope and the top of his eye and forehead”, he fired and in a “one-in-a-million shot” killed Trump’s would-be assassin.

Was Crooks a fall guy like Lee Harvey Oswald?

Who was this young not-so-sharp........

© Dawn