It emerged on Tuesday that the killer penetrated the security area of the rally a full three hours before carrying out his attack, after driving the 50 miles north from his home in Bethel Park on the southern outskirts of Pittsburgh.
At 3pm Crooks triggered a metal detector as he tried to gain access to the site, and was found to be carrying a rangefinder – a gun sight typically used by hunters and marksmen preparing to shoot at distance.
But security officers allowed him in while keeping an eye on him until he left the secure area a short time later, the official said.
He then fell off the radar until shortly before 5.45pm when an officer with the Beaver County Police Department saw him acting suspiciously near the outer perimeter and took a photograph.
It was claimed on Monday that a team of police snipers was stationed in the AGR International building, and that they saw him outside three times in the minutes leading up to the attack.
A law enforcement official told CBS that no action was taken after one of the snipers first spotted Crooks looking up at the roof of the building.
The gunman disappeared around a corner before he was seen a second time, sitting down and looking at his phone, prompting one of the snipers to take his picture.
The sniper then radioed to a command post after seeing Crooks take out his rangefinder.
But no further action was taken before Crooks reappeared a third time, this time wearing a backpack and disappearing from sight as he walked to the back of the building.
I guess the plan was to blow up the car as a distraction then take a shot?
Take a shot then blow up your get away car doesn't make sense.
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