Thomas Matthew Crooks

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It's 'Fullest Picture Yet' of Man Who Tried to Kill Trump

The New York Times fills in some blanks

(Newser) - What drove a "nerdy engineering student on the dean's list" to attempt to take Donald Trump's life? It's a largely unanswered question, and one Steve Eder and Tawnell D. Hobbs attempt to chip away at for the New York Times . The two present what they describe...

Before Trump Shooting, a Communication Failure

Secret Service says breakdowns between agents, local law enforcement weakened security at July event

(Newser) - Communication breakdowns with local law enforcement hampered the Secret Service's performance ahead of a July assassination attempt on Donald Trump, according to a new internal report. A five-page document summarizing the Secret Service report's key conclusions finds fault with both local and federal law enforcement, underscoring the cascading...

Trump Gunman Used an AC Unit to Get on the Roof

Security video shows Thomas Crooks using unit to scale the roof next to the Butler Farm Show

(Newser) - The gunman who tried to assassinate Donald Trump at a July campaign rally in Pennsylvania apparently bought a ladder to be able to scale the roof from which he was able to elude Secret Service agents, fire shots, and injure the former president—but he didn't end up using...

In Video From Rally Shooting, Local Cops Slam Secret Service

Videos capture frustration in aftermath of Trump assassination attempt

(Newser) - Body camera footage released by the Butler Township Police Department captures confusion and frustration during the attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a July 13 rally. The videos show Butler Township officers discovering Thomas Crooks' location on a roof near the rally and trying to reach him in the minutes...

Report: Crooks Stopped Firing After Shot From Local Officer

His shot didn't kill rally gunman, but it bought Secret Service some time, officials say

(Newser) - A local law enforcement officer may have played a bigger role than previously known in stopping Thomas Crooks from firing more shots at Donald Trump. The Washington Post , citing officials close to the investigation and analysis of video evidence, reports that Crooks changed his position and stopped shooting after the...

Acting Secret Service Director 'Ashamed' by What He Saw

Ronald Rowe is grilled by 2 Senate committees on attempted assassination

(Newser) - The acting director of the Secret Service said Tuesday he "cannot defend" why the roof used by the gunman in the assassination attempt of former President Trump was not secured. Ronald Rowe, testifying before two Senate committees, said he recently traveled to the Pennsylvania shooting site and "What...

Trump Rally Gunman Started Buying Weaponry a Year Ago: FBI

FBI says a motive still has not been determined

(Newser) - The Trump rally shooter who killed one and injured others, including Donald Trump himself, at a Pennsylvania rally earlier this month had been stockpiling bomb-making materials and equipment related to guns for more than a year, according to FBI officials. Starting in spring of 2023, the gunman made 25 purchases...

Lawmaker Says Trump Rally Gunman Had an Escape Plan

He says Crooks planned to create a diversion

(Newser) - The man who tried to kill Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month had a plan to escape, according to the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. On CBS' Face the Nation on Sunday, Republican Rep. Michael McCaul told host Robert Costa that Thomas Crooks "...

Text Messages Alter Timeline of Trump Shooting

Local SWAT snipers spotted Thomas Matthew Crooks almost 2 hours prior

(Newser) - Gunshots were fired at former President Trump at 6:11pm on July 13, and testimony before Congress has indicated law enforcement initially became aware of the shooter's presence about an hour before that. The timeline has now been pushed earlier. Text messages show a member of a local SWAT...

FBI Chief: Rally Shooter Made 'Significant' Search

Crooks looked for info on JFK assassination on the same day he registered for Trump rally

(Newser) - On the same day that Thomas Crooks registered for the rally where he tried to kill Donald Trump, he conducted an online search "that's obviously significant in terms of his state of mind," FBI Director Christopher Wray told lawmakers on Wednesday. Wray said that on July 6,...

Trump Shooter Used Drone to Review Rally Site

The craft flew on a 'predetermined path' reports the Wall Street Journal

(Newser) - Hours before Thomas Matthew Crooks positioned himself on the roof of the American Glass Research building, he used a drone to get aerial footage of what would be Donald Trump's rally site later in the day, law enforcement officials tell the Wall Street Journal . The paper reports the drone...

Report: Gunman's Father Called Cops Before Rally Attack

Sources say he was concerned about his son's whereabouts

(Newser) - Hours before Thomas Matthew Crooks tried to kill Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally, the 20-year-old's father called police, sources say. The sources tell outlets including Fox News and CBS News that Crooks' father told police his son was missing and he was concerned about his whereabouts. It's...

Shooter's Online Warning: 'July 13 Will Be My Premiere'
Shooter Allegedly Searched
About Biden, Too
UPDATED
Jul 18, 2024 1:54 PM CDT

Shooter Allegedly Searched About Biden, Too

Investigators say Trump gunman looked up 'depressive disorder' as well

(Newser) - The gunman who shot Donald Trump appears to have conducted online searches about both Trump and President Biden before last weekend's shooting, reports CNN and CBS News . Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, searched for dates of the Democratic National Convention as well as future Trump events, per CNN. He also...

Law Enforcement Repeatedly Lost Track of Trump Shooter

His whereabouts were apparently unknown when Trump took the stage

(Newser) - Law enforcement repeatedly lost sight of former President Trump's would-be assassin after he raised red flags at Saturday's rally in Pennsylvania, according to new reporting. Thomas Matthew Crooks first drew suspicion around 3pm at the security screening area when he passed through magnetometers with a rangefinder, used to...

FBI Shares What Was on Trump Shooter's Phones

No obvious motive emerged after review of Thomas Matthew Crooks' devices

(Newser) - In private briefings before members of Congress on Wednesday, the FBI shared what it discovered on Thomas Matthew Crooks' two cell phones: nothing that pointed to a motive, but decidedly political images and information related to both parties. The New York Times' sources say the FBI officials described Crooks' search...

Gun the Trump Shooter Used Can Make Anyone a Good Shot

Myke Cole looks at the AR-pattern rifle in a piece for Slate

(Newser) - Thomas Matthew Crooks managed to graze Donald Trump's ear, kill another man, and injure two more with shots fired from an AR-pattern rifle. This despite the fact, as Myke Cole writes for Slate , that Crooks reportedly didn't make his school's rifle team because of his poor aim....

Cops Flagged Trump Shooter an Hour Before He Fired

Local police describe 'extremely poor planning' at rally in Butler

(Newser) - The police response to a suspicious person who ultimately tried to assassinate former President Trump in Pennsylvania on Saturday is coming into focus. According to WPXI , Thomas Crooks was seen by police in the vicinity of the American Glass Research complex, outside the security perimeter for Trump's rally in...

FBI Trying to Access Gunman's Phone
FBI Gains Access to
Gunman's Phone
UPDATED
Jul 16, 2024 1:30 AM CDT

FBI Gains Access to Gunman's Phone

Authorities say Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks appears to have acted alone

(Newser) - The FBI has gained access to the phone belonging to the 20-year-old who opened fire on a Trump rally Saturday, according to a statement issued by the bureau Monday. "FBI technical specialists successfully gained access to Thomas Matthew Crooks' phone, and they continue to analyze his electronic devices,"...

BlackRock Yanks Ad That Trump Shooter Appeared In

Thomas Crooks was an unpaid student in the background

(Newser) - A BlackRock ad that went viral the day after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump has been pulled because of the presence of a student in the background of the 30-second spot: Thomas Crooks, the 20-year-old who authorities say fired at the former president on Saturday. A rep for the...

What We Know About the Identified Gunman

Thomas Matthew Crooks was a registered Republican but donated to a liberal group

(Newser) - The Secret Service has identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the gunman at Saturday's Donald Trump rally . Some details emerging about Crooks, who was shot dead by Secret Service agents while on a rooftop adjacent to the rally:
  • State voting records have Crooks as a
...

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