Last updated on August 29th, 2024 at 06:01 am
Washington, D.C. – On July 13, police found Thomas Crooks, who tried to kill GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, suspicious over an hour before the shooting, said Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh field office of the FBI. During a press briefing on active investigation of the incident, Rojek gave a rundown on the timeline and activities of the suspect.
Early Identification and Surveillance
A suspicious local officer sent a photo showing Crooks to other police officials on the ground at Trump’s Pennsylvania rally. The SWAT team members located Crooks about 30 minutes before the shootings and observed him using a rangefinder and accessing news sites. By 5:56 p.m., less than 20 minutes prior to the shooting, Crooks was observed to be wearing a backpack. At 6:08 p.m., he was captured by a police dashboard camera walking across the roof from which he later fired.
Investigation and Security Lapses
While the FBI will not be investigating the possible security lapses on Trump’s part, the agency is putting together a timeline of exactly what occurred. Rojek also made a point to underscore that Trump, as much as he has malignanted the FBI, has consented to a routine victim’s interview to put forward his version of what transpired.
Suspect’s Background and Motive
Thomas Crooks, 20, described by FBI officials as a loner with few social contacts, was shot and killed by a Secret Service agent after opening fire. Thus far, the FBI has uncovered no apparent motive, but it did report that Crooks performed Internet searches about prior mass shootings, improvised explosive devices, and an assassination attempt on the Slovakian prime minister in May.
Preparations and Behavior
Investigators say he used encrypted apps to buy 25 firearm-related items and six chemical precursors to make explosive devices. His parents said he was interested in science, even doing experiments-something, however, that would not raise any red flags. They have cooperated with the investigation.
The FBI has kept working through the circumstances of the assassination attempt to understand what motivated Crooks so maybe another attack could be avoided.