FBI: Motive of Trump Gunman Still Unknown
The FBI has said it has not currently identified motive, evidence of co-conspirators, or the influence of foreign entities in relation to last month's attempted assassination of former Pres. Donald Trump by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks in Butler, Pennsylvania....
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Facts
- The FBI has said it has not currently identified motive, evidence of co-conspirators, or the influence of foreign entities in relation to last month's attempted assassination of former Pres. Donald Trump by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks in Butler, Pennsylvania.[1]
- While the ongoing investigation has given the FBI an understanding of Crooks's state of mind, the bureau stated that they have not yet found any clear political ideology behind the attempt.[2][3]
- The FBI update noted Crooks had conducted dozens of searches related to both Trump and Pres. Biden prior to the event. It is claimed that the shooter then became 'hyper-focused' on the Butler rally after its announcement, and saw Trump as a 'target of opportunity.'[4][5]
- The FBI said that, after signing up for the rally, Crooks's search terms included 'how far was Oswald from Kennedy,' and 'where will Trump speak from at Butler Farm Show.' Other searches included 'ballistic calculator' and 'weather in Butler.'[6]
- The FBI also stated that Crooks was seen a half mile away from the secure perimeter of the rally at 4.26 pm, while footage from a local business showed him climbing the roof from where he fired at 6.05 pm before being killed at 6.11pm.[6][7]
- The account contrasts prior media reports, citing politicians briefed by law enforcement, that stated Crooks was spotted on the roof 20 minutes before shots were fired.[7][8]
Sources: [1]Fbi (a), [2]Washington Examiner, [3]Politico, [4]FOX News, [5]CNN, [6]Fbi (b), [7]ABC News and [8]BBC News.
Narratives
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Guardian. While Crooks's exact motive remains unknown, painstaking work by the FBI reveals that he searched for rallies by both Trump and Biden and narrowed in on Trump's Butler speech shortly after it was announced. It appears he was more intent on carrying out some act of violence rather than pursuing a specific ideological goal.
- Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by FOX News. While it is good that more information about the shooting is finally being released, the FBI has still not answered vital questions about how a suspicious person could roam around for at least an hour without challenge, or how he was able to be on a roof so close to the former president for so long without being neutralized.
