The Washington Post reported, citing sources familiar with the investigation into the assassination attempt on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, that authorities used advanced and rapid technology to breach the shooter's phone in their efforts to understand the motives of the 20-year-old man.
Officials confirmed on Monday that they successfully accessed the contents of the phone belonging to Thomas Matthew Crooks, from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, without disclosing details about the technology used in the operation. Investigators are exploring the possibility that the shooter used two phones after agents found a mobile phone at Crooks' home with a dead battery, according to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe details of the ongoing investigation.
The incident occurred on Saturday in Pennsylvania when Crooks fired an "AR"-style weapon at Trump from a nearby rooftop during a campaign rally. The attack resulted in one person's death and serious injuries to two others, in addition to an injury to Trump’s ear. The attacker was eliminated by a sniper from the Secret Service.
Despite the scale of the investigation and significant media attention on the case, Crooks' motives and beliefs remain unclear, according to the newspaper. Investigations are currently focusing on his family life and his relationship with his parents, who are reported to have health issues. It appears that the parents, despite their love for their son, were not fully aware of the details of his life leading up to the incident, according to the paper.
According to informed sources, the phone was transferred to the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia, on Sunday. There, investigators employed advanced technology from Cellebrite, a company known in law enforcement circles for its ability to extract data from devices seized in criminal investigations. Technology experts noted that the phone was relatively modern, making it more difficult to breach compared to older devices due to software updates.
