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Snapshot 1:Thu, Aug 29, 2024 9:00:53 AM GMT last edited by Tareq

FBI: Motive of Trump Gunman Still Unknown

Above: An image of the DPMS - Panther Arms A-15 Remington Semiautomatic rifle used by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. Image copyright: via FBI

The Facts

  • FBI officials investigating last month's attempted assassination of former Pres. Donald Trump have ruled out any co-conspirators or any indication that the attack was directed by a foreign entity. However, they added, the motive of the gunman remains unknown.

  • At a briefing for reporters on Wednesday, Kevin Rojek, head of the FBI's Pittsburgh field office, indicated a number of online search terms for 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks before he fired eight shots at Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. New images and details of what transpired that day were also disclosed.


The Spin

While Crooks' exact motive remains unknown, painstaking work by the FBI reveals that he searched for rallies by both Trump and Biden and narrowed in on Trump's Butler speech shortly after it was announced. It appears he was more intent on carrying out some act of violence of rather than pursuing a specific ideological goal.

It is good that more information about the shooting is finally being released. However, the FBI has still not answered vital questions about how a suspicious person could roam around for at least an hour, or how he was able to be on a roof so close to the former president for so long without being neutralized.


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