The FBI confirmed new details about Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old gunman who attempted to assassinate former President Trump.
On the same day that Crooks registered for the Trump rally, he searched the John F. Kennedy’s assassination prior to the attack.
Crooks specifically searched “how far away was Oswald from Kennedy” when he shot the president.
FBI Director Christopher Wray also confirmed that Crooks had flown a drone near the rally site and was in possession of multiple explosive devices.
Crooks flew the drone around the Pennsylvania rally site around two hours before the event began.
Wray indicated that the FBI suspects Crooks accessed the rooftop by using mechanical tools and vertical piping along the building’s exterior.
Approximately 20 minutes prior to the gunfire and just 10 minutes before Trump took the stage, law enforcement had identified Crooks as a suspicious individual.
Wray emphasized that the search concerning the Kennedy assassination is noteworthy regarding Crooks’ mindset leading up to the attack.
Thomas Matthew Crooks fired multiple shots at former President Trump from a rooftop outside the event’s security perimeter, resulting in the death of one individual and injuries to Trump and two others.
A Secret Service sniper responded by shooting and killing Crooks after he had discharged at least eight rounds.
Wray still claims the FBI cannot establish a motive for the shooting, despite the fact Crooks donated money to Democrats.
“What I can say is that the shooter appears to have done a lot of searches for public figures in general,” he said.
The FBI located 14 firearms associated with the shooter and his family.
The AR-style rifle used to shoot Trump was legally bought from his father.
FBI Director Wray reported the recovery of at least three explosive devices linked to Thomas Matthew Crooks, including two from his vehicle and one from his home, describing them as “relatively crude” but capable of remote detonation.
The FBI also found three detonation transmitters associated with Crooks. Wray noted that the explosive device on the roof would not have allowed Crooks to trigger the explosives in his vehicle.
Seconds before the first shot was fired, a municipal police officer encountered Crooks on the rooftop, where the gunman threatened him.
Wray mentioned that two officers from a specialized county police unit had left their posts to assist in the search for Crooks, who had been flagged as suspicious.
