In a shocking turn of events, an FBI briefing revealed new details about the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. The assailant, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, was fatally shot by a Secret Service counter-sniper after the attack. The FBI has conducted close to 1,000 interviews as part of their extensive investigation.
Despite ongoing inquiries, the FBI has yet to determine Crooks’ motive or any specific ideology guiding his actions. Additionally, authorities have reported no co-conspirators or advanced knowledge of the plot, and no foreign connections have been identified.
FBI Special Agent Kevin Rojek indicated that Crooks demonstrated a concerning level of planning, with detailed online searches revealing a sustained effort to target Trump’s rally. “Once the event was announced, he focused intensely on the Trump rally as a target opportunity,” Rojek stated.
Investigation Insights
Further insights show that Crooks began searching for Trump’s Pennsylvania campaign appearances in September 2023. He also investigated events for both Trump and President Biden leading up to the shooting. On July 4, just days before the rally, Crooks specifically looked up information related to the event, including venue details.
The FBI disclosed that Crooks had an alarming history of online searches regarding explosives dating back to September 2019, including inquiries on how to construct bombs. Following the attack, homemade explosive devices were discovered in his vehicle, although they were not detonated.
Rojek confirmed that investigators continue to analyze various potential motivations for Crooks’ actions, noting a blend of ideologies without a clear alignment to any single group. “It’s a mixture that we are still trying to analyze,” he remarked.
