FBI Reveals New Details in Investigation of Trump Shooter Thomas Crooks

The FBI has disclosed fresh information regarding the investigation into the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. In a recent conference call, officials revealed that the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, engaged in “detailed attack planning” well before the campaign rally where the incident took place. However, more than six weeks after the attack occurred, authorities have yet to determine a clear motive.

Special Agent Kevin Rojek, who leads the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, explained that a thorough analysis of Crooks’ online search history has yielded significant insights into his mindset but has not provided a definitive motive. Notably, Crooks searched for Trump’s campaign schedule and his upcoming appearances in Pennsylvania in late September 2023.

Trump was not the only potential target identified by investigators. Rojek reported that between April and July of 2024, Crooks conducted searches related to campaign events for both Trump and President Joe Biden. His searches included inquiries about the locations of the Democratic and Republican National Conventions ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Crooks’ online activity over the month preceding the attack revealed he made over 60 searches linked to either Biden or Trump. This suggests he had a focused interest in the political landscape.

Additionally, Rojek elaborated on Crooks’ internet use over the years, indicating that he may have contemplated a violent act for several years. Starting from September 2019 and leading up to the summer of 2024, Crooks conducted extensive searches for explosive devices and related materials. These included queries like “detonating cord,” “blasting cap,” and “how to make a bomb from fertilizer.” Such searches indicated an alarming level of interest in constructing explosive devices.

Law enforcement discovered two explosive devices in Crooks’ vehicle following the attack. FBI Director Christopher Wray mentioned that the devices were equipped with receivers for remote detonation, although they ultimately found that the receivers were switched off and would not have detonated. Rojek clarified that the materials Crooks used to construct the devices were legal to purchase and easily accessible online.

As investigators continue to dive deeper into Crooks’ background, they face the significant challenge of uncovering his motives. Rojek stated that no co-conspirators or associates have been identified, nor is there any evidence suggesting that Crooks was directed by a foreign entity to carry out the attack. This has led investigators to believe that his actions may not have been driven by a clear ideological standpoint.

Concerns about Crooks’ potential extremist views arose following testimony from FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate in late July, which indicated the presence of politically charged communications linked to a social media account related to Crooks. Abbate referenced over 700 comments between 2019 and 2020 that included anti-Semitic and anti-immigration sentiments. Currently, investigators are working to confirm whether these statements were indeed attributable to Crooks.

In the days leading up to the attack, Crooks conducted specific searches for information regarding the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, which was close to his residence. Just days prior to the incident, he searched for details about where Trump would speak at the rally and also looked into the circumstances surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy by Lee Harvey Oswald.

Rojek indicated that Crooks showed a particular interest in the layout and logistics of the campaign event. On July 4, he searched for the rally details and, two days later, made inquiries into past political assassinations. His final searches included terms like “ballistic calculator” and an examination of the weather forecast for the area just days before the shooting.

Meanwhile, Rojek confirmed that Crooks’ family has been “extremely cooperative” with law enforcement throughout this investigation. His body was released to them by the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner, following the completion of the autopsy and agreement by various law enforcement agencies.

Investigators also accessed Crooks’ encrypted email accounts, which revealed no sophisticated encryption that prevented the FBI from analyzing contents. They noted that law enforcement identified Crooks as suspicious well before the attack and had shared his photograph with local officers just before he opened fire.

Following the assassination attempt, significant scrutiny and pressure mounted on the Secret Service, leading to the resignation of its director. As the investigation unfolds, nearly 1,000 interviews have been conducted, along with extensive footage analysis in the search for answers surrounding the incident.

Source: USA Today