Gunman at Trump rally saw it as ‘target of opportunity’ and had 'mixture of ideologies', FBI says

29 August 2024, 09:35

The gunman accused of trying to assassinate Donald Trump had a “mixture of ideologies” the FBI said as they released an image of the rifle used in the attack.

Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, killed a Trump supporter and wounded two others when he opened fire at a Pennsylvania rally in July.

He grazed the ear of the former president before being shot dead by the Secret Service.

According to the head of the FBI field office in Pittsburgh, Kevin Rojek, Crooks “engaged in detailed attack planning” after becoming “hyper-focused” on the Butler rally.

The alleged shooter “looked at it as a target of opportunity”, the FBI said, revealing Crooks had researched both Trump and President Joe Biden campaign events in the months before the attack.

Read more: New indictment filed against former President Donald Trump over efforts to overturn 2020 election

Rojek told reporters Crooks searched for information about the venue in Pennsylvania, such as the term “Butler farm show podium.”

The gunman had been researching how to make explosive devices as early as 2019, the FBI said.

Investigations found that online profiles connected to Crooks had posted antisemitic content online. The Beuro is yet to determine if he posted these things himself.

The FBI praised Crooks’ parents for being “extremely cooperative” and said they had held “productive” talks with former president Trump.

It has emerged that several years ago Crooks tried to join the rifle team at Bethel Park High School, but according to the New York Post, he was rejected for being a terrible shot.

According to former students, during Crooks’ try-outs, he was set up on a rifle range on a lane close to a right hand wall. When he shot, he missed all the targets and his bullet hit the left hand wall, missing his target by 20 feet.

Former student Jameson Murphy told the New York Post: ““He tried out…and was such a comically bad shot he was unable to make the team and left after the first day.”

Another classmate said he “couldn’t shoot at all. He was a terrible shot.”

He was described as turning up to school wearing hunting gear.

“We noticed a few things Thomas said and how he interacted with other people… He said some things that were kind of concerning.

““You know, obviously, we’re using guns in a school setting so you need to be very careful in that regard.

“He made some crass jokes that weren’t appropriate when there are firearms in the school setting.”