'July 13 will be my premiere' Trump's attempted assassin posted online
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Upon reviewing Crooks' laptop, investigators found searches of "Trump", "Biden", "when is the DNC convention," and "the July 13 Trump rally."
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Thomas Matthew Crooks was identified by the FBI as the shooter involved in an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally on July 13, undated. (AP)
Thomas Matthew Crooks, former President Donald Trump’s attempted assassin, allegedly hinted about the attack online a few days before when he opened fire at the Pennsylvania campaign rally, Fox News reported on Thursday.
"July 13 will be my premiere, watch as it unfolds," Crooks wrote on the online gaming platform Steam, Secret Service and FBI officials reported to US senators on Wednesday during a probe of the assailant’s technological devices.
Upon reviewing Crooks' laptop, investigators found searches of "Trump," "Biden," "when is the DNC convention," and "the July 13 Trump rally," reported top US security officials. However, no specific ideology was found during the laptop search, a factor the FBI deems notable. In addition, the conducted interviews revealed that Crooks did not discuss politics.
The senators were informed that Crooks had two cell phones. The primary device was recovered from Saturday’s scene with a remote transmitter, while the second phone, only containing 27 contacts, was found at the 20-year-old’s residence. According to the senators, the FBI is in the process of finding and interviewing the 27 individuals.
This development unfolded just hours after it was discovered that the assailant's parents had reached out to law enforcement on Saturday before the attack to report him missing while expressing concerns about his welfare. However, police officials have not disclosed how they responded when they were notified. In addition, it remains unclear whether Crooks’ parents were aware that he had access to his father’s AR-15 rifle.
Crooks' gun club involvement
Bill Sellitto, president of the gun club in Pennsylvania, told CBC News on Sunday, "We can confirm that Mr. Crooks was a member of the Clairton Sportsmen's Club. Beyond that, the club is unable to make any additional commentary in relation to this matter in light of pending law enforcement investigations."
In a special briefing, FBI officials stated they were seeking information on whether the suspect had visited any shooting ranges to practice using the rifle.
In the attack, the suspect used an AR-15-style rifle, which is one of the most popular guns in the US and described as one of the deadliest, as it has been a common denominator in some of the country's worst mass shootings.
