The gunman in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump searched online for events of both Trump and President Joe Biden and saw the Pennsylvania campaign rally where he opened fire last month as a “target of opportunity,” a senior FBI official said Wednesday.
Quick Read
- The gunman who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump saw the Pennsylvania campaign rally where he opened fire last month as a “target of opportunity,” according to a senior FBI official.
- Thomas Matthew Crooks, the assailant who was killed by a Secret Service countersniper after shooting at Trump from a nearby roof, had conducted extensive online research targeting events for both Trump and President Joe Biden.
- The FBI has yet to determine a definitive motive for the July 13 attack in Butler, Pennsylvania, despite nearly 1,000 interviews conducted during the investigation.
- The special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, Kevin Rojek, stated that while they have a clear understanding of Crooks’ mindset, they are not ready to make any conclusive statements regarding his motive at this time.
- Once a Trump rally was announced for July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania, the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, “became hyper-focused on that specific event and looked at it as a target of opportunity,” according to FBI official Kevin Rojek.
- Crooks conducted internet searches in the days leading up to the rally, including queries like “Where will Trump speak from at Butler Farm Show?” and “Butler Farm Show photos.”
- The FBI has revealed that Crooks had a disturbing interest in explosives, major events, and prominent political figures, complicating efforts to determine a clear motive for the assassination attempt.
- Trump was struck in the ear by a bullet during the attack, in which Crooks, positioned on a nearby rooftop, fired eight shots before being killed by a Secret Service counter sniper.
- Despite understanding Crooks’ mindset, the FBI is not yet ready to make conclusive statements regarding his motive, according to Rojek.
The Associated Press has the story:
Gunman in Trump assassination attempt saw rally as ‘target of opportunity,’ FBI official says
Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP) —
The gunman in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump searched online for events of both Trump and President Joe Biden and saw the Pennsylvania campaign rally where he opened fire last month as a “target of opportunity,” a senior FBI official said Wednesday.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, who shot at Trump from a nearby roof before being killed by a Secret Service countersniper, did extensive research for an attack before the shooting and had looked at any number of events or targets, including the current and former president, said Kevin Rojek, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office.
The new details were disclosed as FBI officials, in the latest in a series of briefings about the investigation, revealed that they had yet to uncover a motive for the July 13 attack in Butler, Pennsylvania, despite conducting nearly 1,000 interviews
“We have a clear idea of mindset, but we are not ready to make any conclusive statements regarding motive at this time,” Rojek said.
Once a Trump rally was announced for July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania, “He became hyper-focused on that specific event and looked at it as a target of opportunity,” Rojek said. Crooks’ internet searches in the days leading up to the rally included queries about the grounds where the rally was held, “Where will Trump speak from at Butler Farm Show?” “Butler Farm Show podium and ”Butler Farm Show photos.”
The new details add to an emerging portrait of Crooks as a man who investigators say had taken an eerie interest in explosives, major events and prominent political figures, but whose internet searches across major parties have frustrated efforts to assign a simple motive.
“We have a clear idea of mindset, but we are not ready to make any conclusive statements regarding motive at this time,” Rojek said.
The FBI has confirmed that Trump was struck in the ear by a bullet during the attack. Crooks, who was positioned on the roof of a nearby building, fired eight shots before being killed by a Secret Service counter sniper.
“We have a clear idea of mindset, but we are not ready to make any conclusive statements regarding motive at this time,” Rojek said.
