FBI Yet To Identify Motive Behind Attempted Assassination of Trump During Pa. Rally

Authorities expressed surprise at the number of shots the gunman fired during the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump before Secret Service snipers neutralized him.

In a press briefing early Sunday, representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police deflected several security-related questions to the Secret Service, who were notably absent from the conference.

When asked if he was shocked by the number of shots the assailant managed to fire at a former president, Kevin Rojek, the FBI’s special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh field office, responded: “It is surprising but, to get all the details of that will come out later in the investigation.”

“The Secret Service really needs to answer that question,” Rojek continued, emphasizing that securing the scene falls under their jurisdiction, with the FBI providing support.

Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens offered a partial defense for the Secret Service regarding the security breach that nearly cost Trump his life.

“In their defense, what I would want to say is it is incredibly difficult to have a venue open to the public and secure that against any possible threat against a determined attacker, that’s a huge lift to try and do it,” Bivens stated.

Despite this defense, some are unconvinced that nothing more could have been done. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer announced that his committee will launch an investigation into the attack on Trump and will question Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle about the security failures.

The shooter, identified by sources as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, positioned himself on a building with a clear line of sight to the ex-president, approximately 130 yards from the stage at the Butler County Fairgrounds.

Crooks opened fire while Trump was speaking, grazing Trump’s ear, killing one rally attendee, and seriously injuring another, according to police. Secret Service agents immediately acted, quickly escorting a bleeding Trump off the stage. Crooks was then neutralized by Secret Service snipers, police reported.

Authorities did not name Crooks at the press conference early Sunday. The FBI has yet to determine a motive for the shooting, officials said.

“We do not currently have an identified motive and our investigators are working tirelessly to attempt to identify what that motive was,” Rojek explained.

Officials also stated it was premature to conclude whether the attack was a “lone wolf” situation.

“Too early to say that. We have one shooter tentatively identified. We’re not stopping there. We’re following up on a lot of information, it will be some time until we can conclusively say (it was a single gunman)” Bivens remarked.

{Matzav.com}