Trump Shooter Saw Rally as ‘Target Opportunity’ — But Motive Still a Mystery, Feds Say

Federal investigators revealed Wednesday that the man who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump had considered targeting various events involving both Trump and President Biden before ultimately choosing last month’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. However, authorities are still uncertain about his exact motive.

Thomas Matthew Crooks conducted over 60 online searches related to President Biden and former President Trump, including inquiries about both the Republican and Democratic national conventions, according to Kevin Rojek, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office.

“He looked at any number of events or targets,” Rojek said. “[When] the Trump rally was announced early in July, he became hyper-focused on that specific event and looked at it as a target opportunity.”

Investigators noted that Crooks held a “mixture of ideologies” but did not seem to have a clear or “definitive” worldview. Despite gathering some insights into his mindset, a clear motive remains elusive, according to Rojek.

“We have not uncovered any credible evidence indicating the subject conspired with anyone else,” Rojek added.

Crooks, who is now deceased, had searched for various topics on July 5, including “When is the DNC convention” and “When is the RNC in 2024.” His searches also included disturbing queries like “Where will Trump speak from at Butler farm show,” “Butler farm show podium,” “Butler farm show photos,” “detonating cord,” “blasting cap,” “How to make a bomb from fertilizer,” and “how do remote detonators work.”

In their investigation, authorities scrutinized Crooks’ internet searches, encrypted messaging accounts from overseas, autopsy results, and more. They also interviewed Trump and conducted “nearly 1,000 interviews.”

Rojek highlighted that Crooks’ parents “have provided all the information that we have asked and have been extremely cooperative.”

The FBI has definitively ruled out the possibility of a second shooter, despite various conspiracy theories circulating online. As of now, there is no evidence of any other co-conspirators.

Officials explained that Crooks had fired eight rounds before he was killed by local law enforcement with a single gunshot wound to the head.

Meanwhile, a bipartisan House task force investigating last month’s attempted assassination of former President Trump released a wide-ranging document and requested interviews on Wednesday.

Chairman Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and Ranking Member Jason Crow (D-Colo.) demanded that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provide a substantial amount of internal communications, lists of those responsible for different aspects of security, transcripts of internal interviews, the security plan for that day, and more.

The task force requested interviews with individuals responsible for 17 specific aspects of security during the July 13 Butler, Pennsylvania rally.

“The Task Force is investigating all actions by any agency, Department, officer, or employee of the federal government, as well as State and local law enforcement or any other State or local government or private entities or individuals related to the attempted assassination,” Kelly and Crow wrote in a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Kelly, who represents Butler, Pa., and Crow set a deadline of Sept. 4 for the DHS to comply with their extensive list of demands, as detailed in a seven-page letter that was first reported by Politico.

On Monday, six Democrat and three Republican members of the task force visited the Butler Farm Show grounds to inspect the site where the attempt on Trump’s life occurred. Several Republicans on the task force chose instead to attend Trump’s event at Arlington National Cemetery, commemorating the third anniversary of the Afghanistan withdrawal.

In Washington, D.C., over 250 miles away, five conservative members of the House Republican Conference, who are conducting a separate investigation into the assassination attempt, held an event at the Heritage Foundation to promote their findings.

Multiple investigations are currently ongoing into the assassination attempt, including those by several Senate committees, the FBI, a DHS review panel, and the DHS Office of the Inspector General.

Kelly and Crow’s document request to DHS also sought updates on the progress of these various investigations and a list of “all internal inquiries and/or reports that are underway within DHS and” the Secret Service.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) established the bipartisan task force last month to examine the security lapses that led to the attack.

The Secret Service has faced significant criticism in the weeks following the incident, during which Crooks managed to climb onto a shed about 130 yards from Trump and fired multiple shots, one of which grazed Trump’s right ear.

Kimberly Cheatle, the former director of the Secret Service, stepped down last month under mounting pressure.

At least five Secret Service officials were reassigned to administrative duties, meaning they are no longer involved in operational planning, according to ABC News.

In response to the incident, the Secret Service has now positioned caches of bulletproof glass across the country to protect Trump during outdoor rallies.

Trump has publicly announced plans to return to Butler for a rally in October to honor firefighter Corey Comperatore, who was killed in the attack.

The Post reached out to the DHS for comment.

Beyond the assassination attempt, the task force is also pressing the DHS for information regarding the general security arrangements for the president, first lady, and other key figures.

The incident on July 13 represents the most significant security failure by the Secret Service since the 1981 attempt on former President Ronald Reagan’s life.

As Congress prepares to reconvene next month, the controversy surrounding the attempt on Trump’s life is expected to be a major topic of discussion.

{Matzav.com}