The FBI has released new images of the firearm used in the shooting of Donald Trump during a July rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, along with photos of the backpack and explosives found in the shooter’s car at the event.
The photos were released on Wednesday as FBI officials provided new information about Thomas Matthew Crooks’ internet searches leading up to the shooting and how these searches are helping investigators understand his mindset.
The images reveal the firearm’s collapsible stock, which investigators believe may have been used to conceal the rifle at the scene.
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On Wednesday, the FBI revealed that Trump’s would-be assassin had researched campaign events for both Donald Trump and President Joe Biden but then became “hyper-focused” on the Pennsylvania rally, which was just 40 minutes from his home.
Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office, explained that the shooter viewed the Trump rally as a “target of opportunity.” Officials have yet to identify a clear motive and noted that Crooks expressed “no definitive ideology.”
“We saw through our analysis of all his – particularly his online searches – a sustained detailed effort to plan an attack on some events, meaning he looked at any number of events or targets,” Rojek said. “And then, when this event was announced, the Trump rally was announced, early in July, he became hyper-focused on that specific event and looked at it as a target of opportunity.”
Rojek stated that the searches revealed Crooks’ detailed inquiries about the rally location, including the specific building from which he fired at Trump.
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On July 6, nearly a week before the rally, Crooks conducted online searches for terms like “where Will Trump speak from at Butler Farm Show,” “Butler Farm Show podium,” and “Butler Farm Show photos,” according to Rojek.
Two days later, he looked up “AGR International,” the company that owned the buildings he had climbed before opening fire. On July 9, he searched for “ballistic calculator,” and the following day, he searched “weather” and “Butler.”
FBI officials also strongly dismissed conspiracy theories surrounding the attack, specifically denying any claims of a second shooter targeting the former president that day.
“I can confirm that there was no second shooter,” Rojek told reporters.
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Regarding Crooks’ motive, Bobby Wells, executive assistant director of the FBI’s National Security Branch, stated that while investigators have a “clearer idea of his mindset,” they have not yet identified a motive, nor any co-conspirators or associates with prior knowledge of the attack.
Wells also emphasized that there is no evidence suggesting Crooks was directed by a foreign entity.
In response to questions about political content in Crooks’ past online posts, Rojek noted that the FBI’s analysis reveals a mix of ideologies associated with him.
“I would say that we see no definitive ideology associated with our subject, either left-leaning or right-leaning,” Rojek said.
