A senior FBI official has disclosed that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old charged with attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump, conducted online searches for events involving both Trump and President Joe Biden.
According to the FBI, Crooks researched events related to both leaders and repeatedly searched for information about explosives. He viewed the Pennsylvania campaign rally, where he fired shots last month, as a “target of opportunity.”
Despite nearly 1,000 interviews, investigators have not determined a clear motive for Crooks’ actions at the July 13 rally. They believe he engaged in “extensive attack planning,” including researching events involving both the current and former presidents, with a particular focus on western Pennsylvania.
Kevin Rojek, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, stated that Crooks’ online search history showed a “sustained, detailed effort to plan an attack on some event,” indicating he considered various targets. Once the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, was announced, Crooks became intensely focused on this specific event as a potential target.
In the days leading up to the rally, Crooks’ searches included queries about the event venue, such as “Where will Trump speak from at Butler Farm Show?” and “Butler Farm Show podium and photos.”
These new revelations portray Crooks as someone with a troubling interest in explosives and high-profile events, but his broad search history across different political figures has complicated efforts to identify a straightforward motive.
Rojek noted, “We have a clear idea of his mindset, but we are not ready to make any definitive statements regarding his motive at this time.”
The FBI confirmed that Trump was struck in the ear by a bullet during the attack. Positioned on the roof of a nearby building, Crooks fired eight shots before being neutralized by a Secret Service counter-sniper.
The FBI also reported no evidence suggesting that Crooks was directed by a foreign entity to carry out the attack.
