WASHINGTON (AP) — The 20-year-old Pennsylvania man who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump had photos of the former Republican president, President Joe Biden, and other officials, including Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Chris Wray, on his phone, according to two people familiar with the matter.
When searching Thomas Matthew Crooks’ devices, investigators also found that the shooter had looked up the dates of the Democratic National Convention and Trump’s appearances, according to the people, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the ongoing investigation.
The FBI is looking for clues as to what drove Crooks to open fire at Saturday’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in an attempt to assassinate the Republican presidential candidate. The FBI has said it is investigating the shooting as a possible act of domestic terrorism but has not yet found a clear ideological motive. The FBI has gained access to Crooks’ cellphone, searched his computer, home and car, and has interviewed more than 100 people so far.
Crooks killed one rally participant and seriously injured two others. Trump suffered an ear injury but was unharmed and appeared at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee just days later with a bandage over the wound.
The shooter had also been seeking information about major depressive disorder, according to three people familiar with the investigation. But investigators have not yet been able to determine whether he was actually diagnosed with the disorder, one of the people said. Studies have shown that the immense majority of people with mental illness are not violent, and experts say most violent people do not have mental illness.
In a conference call with reporters on Sunday, Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh field office, said, “We have no evidence of any mental health issues.”
Crooks used an AR-style rifle that authorities said was legally purchased from his father. Investigators also found that he brought several loaded magazines with him. He also purchased 50 rounds on the day of the shooting. Authorities found a bulletproof vest in his car and another improvised explosive device at his home, where he had received several packages in recent months, including some containing potentially perilous materials.
The shooting raises grave questions about why police failed to stop the man from climbing onto a roof and opening fire. Multiple investigations into the security failures are underway, including an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general into the Secret Service’s handling of security.
The Republican chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on Wednesday subpoenaed Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to appear before the committee on Monday. Republicans have called on Cheatle to resign following the shooting, although she has said she has no intention of doing so.
Local police noticed Crooks pacing the sidelines of the rally, carrying a vast backpack and peering through the lens of a rangefinder at the rooftops behind the stage where the president later stood, officials told the AP.
A picture of Crooks was circulated by officials outside the security perimeter. Witnesses later saw him climb up the side of a squat factory building just 135 meters from the stage. He then loaded his AR-style rifle and lay down on the roof. In his pocket he had a detonator to set off crude explosive devices he had hidden in his car parked nearby.
Butler Township Supervisor Tom Knights said in a statement to the Associated Press on Thursday that officers were searching for a suspicious person at the time Trump arrived. Officers could not find him inside the building, so a Butler Township officer attempted to get to the roof by being pulled up by another officer, Knights said. The officer spotted a person on the roof and that person pointed a rifle at the officer, Knights said.
“The officer was defenseless and unable to engage the actor while he was holding onto the edge of the roof,” Knights said. The officer fell to the ground and Butler Township officers “immediately reported the location of the individual and that he had a weapon on him,” Knights said.
Moments later, Crooks began firing, causing panicked spectators to take cover while Secret Service agents shielded Trump and pulled him off the stage. Two sniper teams were stationed on buildings behind Trump, and the team farther away from Crooks fired once, killing him.
_____
Associated Press reporter Michael R. Sisak in Butler, Pennsylvania, contributed.
