Suspect who tried to assassinate Trump is part of gun club: Report
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Bill Sellitto, president of the gun club, has confirmed Crooks' membership but declined to provide further comments due to ongoing law enforcement investigations.
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Republican presidential candidate former president Donald Trump is helped off stage at a campaign event in Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024. (AP)
The suspect in the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was a member of a gun club, CBC News reported on Sunday.
Bill Sellitto, president of the gun club in Pennsylvania, told the channel, "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.
FBI finds second ‘suspicious’ device at Trump rally shooter's home
In a related context, the FBI said that a second "suspicious device" had been discovered at the residence of Crooks.
The FBI sent the device to their laboratory for evaluation.
"The FBI has searched the shooter’s home and vehicle to collect additional evidence. Suspicious devices found at both locations have been rendered safe by bomb technicians and are being evaluated at the FBI Laboratory," the agency said in a statement on Sunday.
According to The Wall Street Journal on Sunday, US investigators discovered explosive devices in the car of the man accused of attempting to murder former President Donald Trump, citing anonymous sources.
US Secret Service affirmed Sunday that Service agents neutralized the shooter.
It is worth noting that former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump was shot in what was coined an assassination attempt by Rep. Senator Rick Scott while giving a presidential speech at a Pennsylvania rally on Sunday.
'The best friend gun owners have ever had in WH'
Former US President Donald Trump has been a staunch advocate for gun rights and the interests of gun owners. Throughout his political career, he has consistently voiced his support for the Second Amendment, emphasizing the importance of the right to bear arms.
Trump has often called on gun owners to rally behind him, framing his stance as a defense against efforts to impose stricter gun control measures. His speeches and social media posts frequently highlight his commitment to protecting gun ownership rights, making it a key aspect of his platform and appeal to his base.
During the National Rifle Association's annual meeting in Texas on May 19, former President Donald Trump called on gun owners to vote for him in the 2024 election, just right after the NRA endorsed him before he went on stage.
“We’ve got to get gun owners to vote,” Trump said. “I think you’re a rebellious bunch. But let’s be rebellious and vote this time.”
He said the Second Amendment “is very much on the ballot” in November, alleging that, if current President Joe Biden “gets four more years they are coming for your guns, 100% certain. Crooked Joe has a 40-year record of trying to rip firearms out of the hands of law-abiding citizens.”
Claiming that the Amendment is “under siege", Trump vowed to keep defending it as he called himself “the best friend gun owners have ever had in the White House," which all comes while the US ended last year with 42 mass killings and 217 deaths, making it one of the deadliest years on record.
Read next: S.Dakota governor boasts her 2-year-old grandchild owns several guns
The Second Amendment in the US Constitution states that American citizens have the right to bear arms.
Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee that same day announced establishing a new “Gun Owners for Trump” coalition for gun rights activists and those who work in the firearms industry.
Biden has declared gun violence a top priority of his administration, recognizing that firearms remain the "number one killer of children" in the United States. Despite his pledges to tackle the crisis at hand, the Biden administration is failing to mitigate the burden of the domestic crisis on US citizens, with civilians dying en masse on a weekly basis.
