Trump to Speak with FBI in Shooting Probe
Donald Trump has consented to an FBI interview regarding the assassination attempt at his Pennsylvania rally earlier this month. The FBI, during a call with reporters on Monday, did not specify the interview date but emphasized it would be “a standard victim interview we do for any other victim of crime.”
“We aim to get his perspective on what he observed,” stated FBI Special Agent Kevin Rojek. Despite extensive evidence review, investigators have not yet determined why Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire on July 13.
Newly uncovered text messages reveal that the 20-year-old was spotted by a local SWAT team over 90 minutes before the shooting, much earlier than initially believed. The messages, obtained by the New York Times and ABC News, highlight additional security lapses leading up to the assassination attempt on the former president.
The FBI believes Crooks engaged in “careful planning” for the rally on July 13 and made significant efforts to hide his activities. According to Rojek, this planning included six purchases of explosive device components, executed discreetly to avoid raising his parents’ suspicions.
Multiple investigations are underway to identify the security failures at the Butler Fair Show grounds on July 13. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned after admitting to these failures. On the day of the incident, the Secret Service managed security within a fenced area while local law enforcement handled external areas.
At 16:19 local time, a local police sniper texted two colleagues in a nearby warehouse, mentioning he was clocking off and noting a young man at a picnic table near their cars. By 17:38, Crooks had moved to the warehouse, and his photos were shared in a group chat.
“Kid lurking around the building we are in. AGR, I believe. I saw him with a range finder looking towards the stage. FYI. If you want to notify SS snipers to look out. I lost sight of him,” read one message.
Other messages, obtained by CBS, showed a picture of Crooks was forwarded to a local officer at 17:51, with commanders requesting his direction of travel. About 20 minutes later, Crooks was shot dead by the Secret Service after opening fire from a nearby warehouse roof.
The FBI’s focus is on Crooks and his motivations rather than the security breakdowns. Rojek mentioned that Crooks arrived at the venue at 13:50, flew a drone for 11 minutes, left at around 16:00, and was identified as suspicious after 17:00. Around 17:30, he was seen using a range finder and later walking near the AGR building with a backpack. At 18:11, he was confronted by a local police officer, firing eight shots towards Trump and the crowd moments later.
Crooks is now believed to have conducted preliminary surveillance of the site on July 11, two days before the rally. The newly released texts extend the timeframe in which Crooks provoked suspicion, showing he was on local law enforcement’s radar over an hour before the shooting.
Witnesses told the BBC they saw the gunman on the roof and raised the alarm moments after the shooting. It remains unclear why there was a communication breakdown between local law enforcement and the Secret Service. Local SWAT team members told ABC News they had no contact with the Secret Service, and a planned face-to-face briefing did not occur.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced a bipartisan task force of 13 members to investigate the attempt on Trump’s life. The committee includes Pennsylvania Republican Mike Kelly and Tennessee’s Mark Green, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee. Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe and FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate will appear at a separate hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Tuesday.
