FACT CHECK: CNN Did Not Report That Authorities Had Trump Shooter On Their ‘Radar’

A post shared on X claims that CNN reported authorities had Matthew Thomas Crooks on their “radar” before he attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump.

⚡️🇺🇸: CNN reports that authorities had the shooter on their radar before the incident.

— Baron of the Taiga (@baronitaigas) July 14, 2024

Verdict: False

There is no evidence for this claim.

Fact Check:

Crooks worked as a dietary aide at the Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and did not have a “known history of mental illness,” according to ABC News. Crooks was also described by his high school classmates as “lonely” and “quiet,” the outlet reported.

Social media users are claiming that CNN reported that law enforcement knew about the shooter before he attempted to kill the former president. One user wrote,”CNN reports that authorities had the shooter on their radar before the incident.”

There is no evidence CNN reported this. Check Your Fact reviewed CNN’s reporting from July 14 and did not find any such reports. A wider internet search also did not yield any results. (RELATED: Viral Photo Of ‘Mark Violets’ Is Not Trump Rally Shooter)

CNN has an article about Crooks that does not mention law enforcement knowing about him before he attempted to assassinate Trump. A law enforcement official told CBS News that he was not on their radar, though has not completely ruled it out as they’re still running his name down.

Check Your Fact reached out to CNN for comment and will update this article if a response is provided.