NATIONAL NEWS

Gunman in Trump assassination attempt saw rally as ‘target of opportunity,’ FBI official says

Aug 28, 2024, 1:58 PM

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by Secret Service at ...

FILE - Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by Secret Service at a campaign event in Butler, Pa., July 13, 2024. A senior FBI official says the gunman in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump searched online for events of both Trump and President Joe Biden and saw the Pennsylvania campaign rally where he opened fire last month as a “target of opportunity." (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The gunman in the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump searched online for events of both Trump and President Joe Biden, repeatedly looked up information about explosives and saw the Pennsylvania campaign rally where he opened fire last month as a “target of opportunity,” a senior FBI official said Wednesday.

Investigators who have conducted nearly 1,000 interviews do not have a motive for why 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks shot at Trump during a July 13 campaign rally but they believe that he conducted “extensive attack planning,” including looking up campaign events involving both the current president and former president, particularly in western Pennsylvania.

The FBI analysis of his online search history reveals a “sustained, detailed effort to plan an attack on some event, meaning he looked at any number of events or targets,” Kevin Rojek, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, told reporters Wednesday in the latest in a series of briefings on the investigation.

Once a Trump rally was announced for July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania, “He became hyper-focused on that specific event and looked at it as a target of opportunity,” Rojek said. Crooks’ internet searches in the days leading up to the rally included queries about the grounds where the rally was held, “Where will Trump speak from at Butler Farm Show?” “Butler Farm Show podium and ”Butler Farm Show photos.”

In the 30 days before the attack, the FBI says, Crooks did more than 60 internet searches related to Biden and Trump, including seeking the dates of both the Democratic and Republican national conventions. FBI Director Christopher Wray has previously revealed that one week before the shooting, Crooks did a Google search for “How far away was Oswald from Kennedy?”

That’s an apparent reference to Lee Harvey Oswald, the shooter who killed President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963.

The new details add to an emerging portrait of Crooks as a highly intelligent and reclusive man who investigators say in the years before the shooting had taken an eerie interest in explosives and major events involving prominent public figures, but whose internet searches across major political parties have frustrated efforts to assign a simple motive or to establish why Trump himself would have been targeted.

“We have a clear idea of mindset, but we are not ready to make any conclusive statements regarding motive at this time,” Rojek said. The FBI has also not found that anyone else had advance knowledge of the shooting or that Crooks had conspired with anyone else.

The FBI found explosive devices in his car and home, and investigators say his internet searches revealed that since at least 2019 he had looked up information about bomb-making materials.

The FBI has said that Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, was struck in the ear by a bullet or a bullet fragment in the assassination attempt. Crooks fired eight shots from an AR-style rifle. One rallygoer was killed and two others were injured before the gunman, who was positioned on the roof of a building less than 150 yards away, was killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper.

KSL 5 TV Live

National News

U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau talk prior to a NATO ...

Jim Morris, Associated Press

Justin Trudeau reportedly says Trump’s talk of making Canada a US state is ‘a real thing’

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says President Donald Trump’s talk of making Canada the 51st state is “a real thing” and is linked to the country’s rich natural resources.

14 hours ago

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, left, claps as Tesla and SpaceX CEO ...

Anthony Izaguirre associated press

19 states sue to stop DOGE from accessing Americans’ personal data

Nineteen Democratic attorneys general have sued President Donald Trump to stop Elon Musk’s DOGE from accessing Treasury Department records.

14 hours ago

This photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, shows a small commuter plane t...

Becky Bohrer and Hallie Golden, Associated Press

Missing commuter plane found crashed on Alaska sea ice and all 10 aboard died, authorities say

A small commuter plane that crashed in western Alaska on its way to the hub community of Nome was located Friday on sea ice, and all 10 people on board died, authorities said.

18 hours ago

People stand at the Eielson Visitor Center with a view of North America's tallest peak, Denali, in ...

Associated Press

Alaska Legislature asks Trump to retain Denali’s name instead of change it to Mount McKinley

he Alaska Legislature has passed a resolution urging President Donald Trump to reverse course and retain the name of North America’s tallest peak as Denali rather than change it to Mount McKinley.

19 hours ago

Violinist Stefan Jackiw holds the 1714 Joachim-Ma Stradivarius at Sotheby's auction house in New Yo...

Associated Press

A Stradivari violin made in 1714 sells for $11.3M at auction

A violin made in 1714 by the legendary luthier Antonio Stradivari sold for $11.3 million at an auction in New York on Friday, short of estimates that would have made it the most expensive instrument ever sold.

22 hours ago

FILE - A thick haze hangs over Manhattan in New York on July 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, Fi...

Associated Press

22 states sue New York state, alleging environmental fund is unconstitutional

Twenty-two states sued New York state on Thursday, contending that a new law forcing a small group of major energy producers to pay $75 billion into a fund to cover climate change damage is unconstitutional.

2 days ago

Sponsored Articles

holiday gift basket with blue tissue paper and gingerbread cookies...

Kneaders Bakery & Cafe

Holiday hacks for a stress-free season

Get more out of your time with family and loved ones over the holidays by following these tips for a stress-free season.

2 computer techs in a computer shop holding up a computer server with the "hang loose" sign...

PC Laptops

A comprehensive guide to choosing the right computer

With these tips, choosing the right computer that fits your needs and your budget will be easier than ever.

crowds of people in a German style Christmas market...

This Is The Place Heritage Park

Celebrate Christkindlmarket at This Is The Place Heritage Park!

The Christkindlmarket is an annual holiday celebration influenced by German traditions and generous giving.

Image of pretty woman walking in snowy mountains. Portrait of female wearing warm winter earmuff, r...

Lighting Design

Brighten your mood this winter with these lighting tricks

Read our lighting tips on how to brighten your mood in the winter if you are experiencing seasonal affective disorder.

A kitchen with a washer and dryer and a refrigerator...

Appliance Man

Appliance Man: a trusted name in Utah’s home appliance industry

Despite many recent closures of local appliance stores, Appliance Man remains Utah's trusted home appliance business and is here to stay.

abstract vector digital social network technology background...

Les Olson

Protecting yourself against social engineering attacks

Learn more about the common types of social engineering to protect your online or offline assets from an attack.

Gunman in Trump assassination attempt saw rally as ‘target of opportunity,’ FBI official says