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The suspected Trump rally shooter bought 50 rounds of ammunition, hours before carrying out the attack, according to a report.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was identified by law enforcement as the gunman who attempted to assassinate the former president at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday evening.
Senior law enforcement officials told CNN that Crooks bought a large amount of ammo from a local gun store shortly before the attack.
The FBI declined to confirm if the report was true but said they “successfully gained access” to Crooks’ phone and will continue to analyze his electronic devices.
“The search of the subject’s residence and vehicle are complete. The FBI has conducted nearly 100 interviews of law enforcement personnel, event attendees, and other witnesses. That work continues,” the FBI said in a statement.
Crooks used a legally purchased, AR-style rifle with 5.56-caliber bullets in the shooting. Federal law enforcement believes that the gun belonged to Crooks’ father.
Records, reviewed by CNN, reveal that the gunman’s father had more than 20 legally purchased guns registered to himself.
The FBI’s preliminary investigation revealed that Crooks possibly had bomb-making materials in the car that he drove to the rally grounds.
Investigators found a transmitter on the gunman but it is unclear at this time if it was related to the possible explosives found in the vehicle.
Law enforcement officials believe Crooks acted alone in the shooting.
The shooting injured the former president and killed a rally-goer, 50-year-old Corey Comperatore. Two other men have been critically injured.
The shooter was shot dead by snipers after he opened fire, shortly after 6 p.m. on Saturday.
The former president was minutes into his speech when several gunshots rang out. A bullet grazed Trump’s right ear and caused blood to pour down his cheek. Trump ducked behind the lectern and then Secret Service agents surrounded him, forming a barricade and rushing him from the stage to a waiting motorcade.
Crooks’ family members told The Independent that they were shocked by the 20-year-old’s actions and could not understand why he carried out the shooting.
“I haven’t seen the kid since he was little,” his uncle Mark Crooks said. “He never wanted to bother [with maintaining a relationship], so we don’t see him.”
Publicly available information revealed Crooks was a registered Republican but donated to a Democratic PAC in 2021.
So far, the FBI has not identified a motive but they have obtained Crooks’ cellphone to assist their investigation.
President Joe Biden delivered remarks on Sunday from the White House, urging the public to avoid assumptions about the suspected gunman’s motives or affiliations.
The shooting is being investigated as an assassination attempt as well as potential domestic terrorism.
This article has been updated on Monday, July 15, 2024
