The FBI said Wednesday that the would-be assassin of Donald Trump had been investigating the former president and President Joe Biden’s campaign but was then “disproportionately focused” on a rally in Pennsylvania just 40 minutes from the gunman’s home.
The FBI released new photos of the gun used to shoot and kill Trump at the July rally, as well as photos of a backpack and explosives the shooter had in his car.
Special Agent Kevin Rojek of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office detailed how the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, saw the Trump rally as an “opportunity.” Authorities have not yet determined a motive, and said Crooks “did not express a clear ideology.”
Rojek said those searches also revealed detailed searches conducted by Crooks of the rally locations, including the building where Trump was shot and killed.
On July 6, nearly a week before the rally, Crooks searched online for searches including “where will trump speak at the butler farm show,” “butler farm show podium” and “butler farm show photos,” according to Rojek.
Two days later, Crooks searched for “AGR International,” the company that owns the building he climbed into before the shooting. On July 9, he searched for “ballistic calculator,” and the following day he searched for “weather” and “Butler.”
Regarding Crooks’ motive, Bobby Wells, deputy director of the FBI’s National Security Division, said investigators have a “clearer idea of the thinking” but that “at this time, the FBI has not identified a motive or any co-conspirators or associates of Crooks who had prior knowledge of the attack.”
“Our subject has no clear ideology, left or right,” Rojek said.
