The Federal Bureau of Investigation is working to determine a motive in the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally on Saturday.
In its latest update, the FBI said its technical specialists had successfully gained access to Thomas Matthew Crooks' phone after it was sent to the agency's Quantico, Virginia, laboratory.
Crooks was fatally wounded by authorities seconds after he fired at Trump, officials said. Trump had a wound to his ear, but his campaign said he was "fine."
The FBI doesn't yet know what drove 20-year-old Crooks, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, to perpetrate the shooting, but it is actively looking for clues. It noted that the shooter's social media accounts revealed no information helpful to their investigation but that they continue to "analyze his electronic devices."
“The FBI has not identified a motive for the shooter’s actions, but we are working to determine the sequence of events and the shooter’s movements prior to the shooting, collecting and reviewing evidence, conducting interviews, and following up on all leads,” the federal agency said in an earlier update.
So far, the FBI said it has conducted nearly 100 interviews of law enforcement personnel, event attendees and other witnesses and has received hundreds of digital media tips, including some with photos and videos from the scene.
The agency said it also searched both the shooter’s residence and vehicle for evidence. The FBI said suspicious devices found in both places were marked safe by bomb technicians and are now being evaluated at the FBI lab.
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Scripps News witnessed FBI special agents knock on the door of the shooter's family home in Pennsylvania. Later, they also started knocking on the doors of neighboring homes.
While the FBI’s investigation suggests the shooter acted alone, the agency said it is also working to determine if any “co-conspirators” were involved in the attack. However, the FBI noted there were “no public safety concerns” at this time.
The shooter had no criminal history and was not known to the FBI prior to the shooting. Officials also said he had no known mental health issues.
It is now known that the gunman used a rifle purchased by his father to execute the attack, but it is unclear if his father knew his son took the weapon on that day. Officials say the shooter's family continues to cooperate with authorities.
Trump, the Republican nominee in the race for the White House, had been speaking in front of a crowd for mere minutes when multiple shots rang out. The former president, who was rushed to a local medical facility, said he was hit by a bullet in the upper part of his right ear.
One spectator at the rally, Corey Comperatore, was killed as he shielded his family from the gunfire. Two other attendees were critically injured but are now said to be stable.
The FBI said in addition to an assassination attempt, the incident is also being investigated as potential domestic terrorism.
Anyone with information is asked to submit it online at tips.fbi.gov or call 1 (800) CALL-FBI.
