Trump's Shooter Reportedly Googled This Past President's Assassination Before Shooting: FBI Director
![Trump's Shooter Reportedly Googled This Past President's Assassination Before Shooting: FBI Director](https://dab57h0r8ahff.cloudfront.net/707350/uploads/1fcdd990-4b17-11ef-9732-abc1ba4f68c9_1200_630.jpeg)
Thomas Matthew Crooks, the "lone" gunman who shot Donald Trump, did some research before carrying out the assassination attempt. The new details have emerged from the FBI investigation that revealed the 20-year-old shooter reportedly googled the 35th President John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963 as revealed by FBI director Christopher Wray.
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Wray testified on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in front of the House Judiciary Committee about the July 13 shooting incident. The bullet grazed through Trump's right ear leaving it injured, another member of the crowd died and two others were left wounded. According to the investigation, Crooks used a firearm with a "collapsible stock," likely making it easier to hide. Also, he didn't use the ladder to access the rooftop, instead, he climbed up.
The FBI director told lawmakers, "We will not and do not tolerate political violence of any kind, especially a despicable account of this magnitude," calling the assassination attempt "an attack on our democracy and our democratic process." Meanwhile, he also added that before the July 13 incident, the Pennsylvania gunman searched "how far away was Oswald from Kennedy" on July 6, 2024, and later registered for Trump's rally, per BBC.
NEW BODY CAM. Trump Rally ROOF. Thomas Crooks. SHOCKING. https://t.co/DdM4XXfdes via @YouTube @JLRINVESTIGATES #BodyCam from #TrumpAssassinationAttempt @SecretService on the roof, #ThomasMatthewCrooks dead lying in a pool of his blood.#CheatleResigned #BidenDroppedOut… pic.twitter.com/bOy6PUAvEb
— Bernice Sykes, PhD (Doc Bunny)🕊️❤️🤍💙🕊️ (@Docbunny2020) July 24, 2024
"[Thomas] became very focused on President Trump and his rally," continued the director, adding the internet search was "obviously significant as to [the shooter's] state of mind" and that he googled this the same day as he registered for Trump rally in Butler Pennsylvania. The gunman reportedly searched news articles for other public figures as well.
Lee Harvey Oswald, President Kennedy's assassin killed the former president while he was on the road at a motorway rally along with his wife Jacqueline on November 22, 1963. Oswald shot from a book depository in Dallas as his motorcade passed by. According to the Warren Commission report that investigated Kennedy's assassination, he was shot at his neck at a range of 174.9ft to 190.8ft, or about 53.3m to 58.1m.
“How far was Oswald away from #JFK” a @Google search made by #ThomasMatthewCrooks on 6 July 2024, 7 days before the assassination attempt.
— Bernice Sykes, PhD (Doc Bunny)🕊️❤️🤍💙🕊️ (@Docbunny2020) July 24, 2024
Director of @FBI #ChistopherWray said in oversight committee. #TrumpAssassinationAttempt pic.twitter.com/1WJYBlbIOZ
Furthermore, Wray revealed in his testimony that Crooks was keeping an eye on Trump's rally area with a drone. "Around 4 p.m., [Crooks] was flying the drone around the area," not directly over the stage but approximately 200 yards from it. He monitored the area with the drone for 11 minutes and as per the investigators, he could see the live feed from the device, per CNN.
Local law enforcement sources tell me they are furious the Secret Service & DHS are blaming them. They say they did their job as requested by the feds - which was mainly to patrol the outer perimeter, according to them
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) July 20, 2024
Wray said the investigators have been able to "reverse-engineer the flight path of the drone from the day of the rally" and now presume that the drone footage "would have shown [the shooter] what would have been behind him. It was almost like giving him a rear-view mirror of the scene behind him."
Here’s my view of the scene where President Trump was shot. Big question: why wasn’t the building where the shooter fired from included in the security perimeter? It’s incredibly close, with a clear line of sight pic.twitter.com/r1n7cnaH0q
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) July 20, 2024
How did he climb up the roof? Wray stated that the gunman used equipment and piping to reach the top and not any ladder. "We now believe the subject climbed onto the roof using some mechanical equipment on the ground and vertical piping on the side of the AGR building. In other words, we do not believe he used a ladder to get up there."
It’s not a tall building. Single story. Roof is barely sloped. Lots of points of access to get on the roof. And clear line of sight to where the stage was pic.twitter.com/VkttOfhNmu
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) July 20, 2024
Trump was immediately escorted off the stage as his right ear was wounded by the shot. Luckily, he survived the attempt at his life and the shooter was killed by a police sniper.