FBI: Trump shooter studied JFK assassination prior to own attempt
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The director of the FBI revealed that the attempted assassin of former US President Donald Trump was closely examining John F Kennedy's assassination prior to his attempt.
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FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies before a House committee about the July 13 shooting at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 24, 2024, on Capitol Hill. (AP)
Thomas Michael Crooks, the individual responsible for the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump, had conducted extensive research on the assassination of former US President John F. Kennedy prior to the attack, FBI Director Christopher Wray told lawmakers on Wednesday.
Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire on Trump with an AR-style assault weapon soon after 6:00 pm on July 13, when the Republican presidential nominee was addressing a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The 20-year-old managed to kill one audience member and injure two others before being fatally shot by Secret Service snipers.
Wray said while testifying before the House Judiciary Committee that an examination of Crooks' personal computer showed he started investigating the JFK assassination on July 6, the same day he registered for the Trump rally.
"He did a Google search for – quote – 'how far away was Oswald from Kennedy'," Wray said, referencing Lee Harvey Oswald, JFK's assassin.
Wray emphasized that this search was significant in understanding Crooks' mindset, noting his intense focus on Trump and the rally. However, Wray provided little insight into Crooks' broader motivations, stating that the shooter had no known accomplices or co-conspirators and did not speculate on his political beliefs.
Moreover, it was found that prior to fixating on Trump, Crooks had conducted numerous searches on public figures.
Inadequate secret service
The FBI director did not address the number of Secret Service snipers at the rally or allegations that some agents were pulled from Trump's detail before the event, though he did reveal that Crooks had visited the rally site in Butler three times and flew a drone around the area two hours before Trump's appearance on stage.
The drone and controller were found in the gunman's vehicle as well, as two "relatively crude" explosive devices, and another at Crooks' home.
The FBI director stated that the bombs could be detonated remotely and that the shooter was carrying a transmitter when he was shot.
US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned on Tuesday after the organization came under heavy criticism for failing to stop a would-be assassin from injuring former President Donald Trump during a campaign event with the intent of killing him.
When she stood before the House of Representatives Oversight Committee on Monday, she was met with criticism from both political parties and refused to address inquiries from irate members regarding the security arrangements for the event and the way in which law enforcement handled the gunman's suspicious actions.
Taking full responsibility for the incident, Cheatle told legislators that it was the biggest mistake made by the Secret Service since then-President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981. Cheatle had been in charge of the agency since 2022.
She admitted in her opening statement that the Secret Service had "failed" on July 13, when the former President's shooter was able to take a clear shot from a rooftop near the campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
