FBI: Suspect in Trump shooting investigation linked to Kennedy assassination
Kennedy was shot on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, while he was in an open Limousine on the road. The assassination of Trump was committed on July 13 during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The shooter only lightly wounded the former President at the ear. Crooks had positioned himself with a semi-automatic rifle approximately 150 meters away from Trump on a rooftop.
A man in the crowd was killed during the assassination in Butler, and two other attendees were severely injured. Crooks was killed less than 30 seconds after he fired the shots by a sharpshooter from the Secret Service.
Wray testified before the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives in Washington, stating that the 20-year-old had researched "public figures" extensively on the internet. Approximately a week before the assassination, his focus had shifted significantly towards Trump and the rally in Butler.
A clear picture of the motive of the shooter is still not available, and this is "one of the central questions" of the investigations, according to the FBI director. Additionally, there is no evidence that Crooks had accomplices, Wray added.
Wray also reported that the 20-year-old had launched a drone over the event grounds two hours before Trump's speech. This had already been reported by US media in the previous days. The drone was found in the 20-year-old's car, along with two "relatively simple" explosive devices.
Crooks had a remote control with him to ignite the explosives from the rooftop, Wray said. However, it did not appear that this remote control functioned. "But that doesn't mean the explosives weren't dangerous," the FBI director added.
The Secret Service, responsible for protecting current and former presidents, has been under immense pressure since the assassination attempt. Secret Service Chief Kimberly Cheatle resigned on Tuesday. She had previously acknowledged the "most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades" in the assassination attempt on Trump.
The 78-year-old right-wing populist was nominated by his Republican Party as a candidate for the presidential election in November in the week following the attempted assassination attempt.
- Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old who allegedly attempted to assassinate Donald Trump, extensively researched "public figures" on the internet, including Trump, as confirmed by FBI Director Christopher Wray.
- In the wake of the Trump Attack, FBI Director Wray testified before the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives, revealing that Crooks had shifted his focus towards Trump and the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a week before the incident.
- The FBI is currently investigating the motive behind Crooks' actions, with Wray stating that this is one of the central questions in their investigation.
- Crooks was found to have launched a drone over the event grounds two hours before Trump's speech, and a drone and two "relatively simple" explosive devices were discovered in his car.
- Despite having a remote control to ignite the explosives from the rooftop, it appears that the remote control did not function, according to FBI Director Wray.
- The incident has placed immense pressure on the Secret Service, responsible for protecting current and former presidents, leading to the resignation of Secret Service Chief Kimberly Cheatle, who acknowledged the "most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades" in relation to the Trump Attack.
- Crooks' alleged actions also brought attention to the security measures in place for public figures, with many questioning the effectiveness of the FBI and the Secret Service in protecting individuals like Thomas Matthew Crooks and President Donald Trump.
