As investigations continue to uncover the motive behind the shooting attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump, new information has emerged regarding the twenty-something shooter who attempted to assassinate the Republican candidate. Senior U.S. security officials informed Senate members on Wednesday that investigators reviewed the laptop of shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks, discovering some searches from July related to Trump, Biden, when the Democratic National Convention would be held, and a Trump rally on July 13, as reported by Fox News.
Officials stated that the suspect had two mobile phones, with the primary phone retrieved from the scene along with a remote transmitter. They explained that another mobile phone was found at the shooter's home, containing only 27 contacts, and indicated to Senate members that the FBI is tracking those individuals and conducting interviews with them.
Coincidentally, Crooks' parents told Fox News that they contacted law enforcement authorities on the Saturday before the assassination attempt, informing the police that their son was missing and they were concerned for his safety. Additionally, the accused shooter wrote a message on an online platform days before the incident that shook the United States, stating that July 13 would be his "premiere" on a popular gaming platform. It was unclear whether they knew he was in possession of an AR-15 rifle legally owned by his father.
Former President Donald Trump survived this assassination attempt on Saturday during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, after shots were fired from a distance of about 150 meters towards the area where he was speaking, injuring his ear. The FBI confirmed on Sunday that the assailant targeting Trump was named Thomas Matthew Crooks and was 20 years old.
Thomas Matthew Crooks was on the roof of a warehouse 130 to 140 meters away from Trump when he fired several shots at the former president before being shot and killed by Secret Service agents. The shooter hails from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, which is 65 kilometers from Butler, the city where Trump's campaign rally took place.
