The FBI disclosed on Wednesday that the gunman who attempted to assassinate former US President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania last month, chose the event as a “target of opportunity.”
Thomas Matthew Crooks, from Bethel Park Pennsylvania, fired shots at Trump during an outdoor rally in Butler, one of which grazed Trump in the ear.
The shooter was located on the roof of a manufacturing plant about 130 yards away from the rally stage.
According to FBI officials, the 20-year-old gunman had engaged in a “sustained, detailed effort” to attack a major event prior to deciding on Trump’s rally in July.
FBI officials said that Crooks had conducted over 60 searches for information on Trump and his then-rival, Democratic President Joe Biden, before registering for the rally.
“We saw … a sustained, detailed effort to plan an attack on some events, meaning he looked at any number of events or targets,” said Kevin Rojek, the FBI’s top official in western Pennsylvania, during a telephone, according to Al Jazeera.
Rojek added that Crooks became “hyper-focused” on Trump’s rally once it was announced. “He looked at it as a target of opportunity,” Rojek further added.
After the attack attempt, US Secret Service snipers shot Crooks, and an AR-style rifle was recovered from the scene.
Bethel Park, where Crooks resided, is a village located 40 miles south of Butler, where Trump’s rally took place.
On the day of the incident, Donald Trump was on stage at the Butler campaign rally when gunshots were heard, prompting Secret Service agents to rush to the stage.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, from Bethel Park Pennsylvania, fired shots at Trump during an outdoor rally in Butler, one of which grazed Trump in the ear.
The shooter was located on the roof of a manufacturing plant about 130 yards away from the rally stage.
According to FBI officials, the 20-year-old gunman had engaged in a “sustained, detailed effort” to attack a major event prior to deciding on Trump’s rally in July.
FBI officials said that Crooks had conducted over 60 searches for information on Trump and his then-rival, Democratic President Joe Biden, before registering for the rally.
“We saw … a sustained, detailed effort to plan an attack on some events, meaning he looked at any number of events or targets,” said Kevin Rojek, the FBI’s top official in western Pennsylvania, during a telephone, according to Al Jazeera.
Rojek added that Crooks became “hyper-focused” on Trump’s rally once it was announced. “He looked at it as a target of opportunity,” Rojek further added.
After the attack attempt, US Secret Service snipers shot Crooks, and an AR-style rifle was recovered from the scene.
Bethel Park, where Crooks resided, is a village located 40 miles south of Butler, where Trump’s rally took place.
On the day of the incident, Donald Trump was on stage at the Butler campaign rally when gunshots were heard, prompting Secret Service agents to rush to the stage.
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