FBI reveals Trump shooter had pictures of Kate Middleton on his phone

The FBI has revealed that Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump, also researched Catherine, Princess of Wales.

According to the National Public Radio (NPR), Crooks, 20, downloaded images of the 42-year-old Royal, who is battling cancer, onto his mobile phone. When FBI agents raided his home after the shooting in Pennsylvania, they seized two phones and a laptop. Cyber specialists discovered the photos of Kate when they accessed Crooks's devices.

Initially, the FBI did not disclose the identity of the Royal whose photos were found. However, NPR reported that Kate’s name was mentioned to politicians during a phone briefing about the attack. Crooks also researched FBI Director Christopher Wray, US Attorney General Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden, and Donald Trump, along with the dates of the Republican and Democratic conventions. There is no evidence suggesting Crooks planned to travel to the UK.

Secret Service and FBI officials updated members of Congress on the investigation into Crooks. Reporter Martin Kaste, on NPR’s 'All Things Considered,' relayed that Crooks had images of several high-profile individuals, including Kate Middleton. He had also searched for Trump’s event dates and the Democratic National Convention. Investigators found no indications of a strong political ideology or foreign connections in Crooks's actions.

Princess Kate was the only non-American found in Crooks’s search history. It remains unclear why he was interested in her. She was seen at Wimbledon hours after the shooting, having announced her cancer diagnosis in March and undergoing chemotherapy. Crooks was killed by the Secret Service seconds after he opened fire at Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, narrowly missing the former president but killing a supporter in the audience.