FBI Director: Trump Rally Shooter Researched JFK Assassination Days Before Attack
Photo: Reuters
In a startling revelation during a House Judiciary Committee hearing, FBI Director Christopher Wray disclosed that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the assailant who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally on July 13, 2024, had conducted online searches related to the assassination of John F. Kennedy just days before the incident.
Wray detailed that analysis of a laptop linked to Crooks showed a Google search on July 6 for "How far away was Oswald from Kennedy," referencing Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of President Kennedy in 1963.
The shooting occurred during a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Crooks fired shots from a nearby building towards Trump, causing panic and leading to a swift response from Secret Service agents.
Although Trump sustained a minor injury to his ear, he was safely evacuated from the venue. Tragically, one person in the audience was killed, and two others were seriously injured in the attack.
According to Wray's testimony, Crooks registered to attend the rally on the same day he conducted the search about the Kennedy assassination. Additionally, investigators found a drone in Crooks' vehicle, which he had reportedly flown near the venue approximately two hours before the shooting.
The FBI director also addressed concerns about explosive devices discovered in Crooks' vehicle and residence. Wray confirmed that these devices were capable of remote detonation, although based on the positioning of their receivers, any attempt to trigger them from the roof during the rally would likely have failed.
While Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022, located approximately 50 miles from Butler, details surrounding his motives and actions leading up to the attack continue to unfold as part of the ongoing investigation.
The incident has sparked renewed discussions on security measures at political events and the broader implications of online radicalization and violence.