New evidence has surfaced indicating that the individual who targeted former President Donald Trump in July also searched for events involving President Joe Biden. Authorities have noted that the suspect’s unclear political affiliations make it challenging to determine the motive behind the attack.
Local media reported that FBI agent Kevin Rojek from the Pittsburgh office discussed the investigation on Wednesday. On July 13, at a fairground in Butler, Pennsylvania, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, a white male, shot and injured Trump while he was campaigning as the Republican presidential candidate. Crooks was killed at the scene.
Rojek revealed that an examination of Crooks’ online search history showed he made targeted efforts to find specific events. “Our review confirmed that Crooks was persistent and focused in his search,” Rojek said. He pointed out that Crooks had searched for Trump’s campaign schedule and his visit to Pennsylvania as early as September of the previous year.
Crooks researched Trump’s schedule between April and July and sought information on Biden’s campaign events. His search history from the month before the shooting included details about both the Republican and Democratic national conventions.
Rojek reported that when Trump’s campaign event in Butler was announced in early July, Crooks focused intensely on it, viewing the rally as an “unplanned opportunity.” Rojek noted that after Crooks applied to attend the Butler rally on July 6, he searched for terms such as “Butler fairground Trump speech location,” “Butler fairground podium,” and “Butler fairground photos.” On July 8, Crooks searched for “AGR International,” the company that owned the warehouse where he conducted the shooting. The next day, he looked up “ballistic calculator” and “weather” along with “Butler.”
Rojek highlighted that Crooks does not display a clear ideological leaning, whether left or right. In this context, Bobby Wells, an FBI’s National Security Division advisor, stated, “At this point, we have not determined Crooks’ motive for the crime, nor have we identified any accomplices or collaborators who were aware of his plans beforehand.” Wells added, “There is no evidence that Crooks received instructions from foreign organizations.”
In related news, during an interview on Tuesday, former President Trump criticized U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate. He suggested that the shooting incident was partly the responsibility of both Biden and Harris. Trump accused the Democratic administration of using the Justice Department to target him, suggesting that they showed little concern for his health or safety.
