Thomas Mathew Crooks, a 20-year-old identified by investigators as the assailant who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump, had left a foreboding message on his social media platform just days before the incident. According to Fox News, he allegedly wrote on Steam, a popular online gaming platform, “July 13 will be my premiere; watch as it unfolds.” This chilling statement was discovered as authorities examined Crooks’ electronic devices, including his mobile phone and laptop.
During their searches, officials found photos of both Donald Trump and President Joe Biden on Crooks’ mobile phone, alongside internet searches related to the Democratic National Convention schedule and Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania, as reported by The New York Post. Despite being a registered Republican, Crooks’ political leanings were not definitively established by their investigation, as per ABC News.
The sequence of events leading to the assassination attempt revealed that Secret Service snipers first identified Crooks at 5:10 pm, with subsequent sightings using rangefinders and direct visual confirmation at 5:30 pm and 5:52 pm, respectively. Crooks began firing shots at the former president at 6:12 pm, following a 20-minute gap after he was first spotted on the roof. He was fatally shot by law enforcement shortly after opening fire.
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Two cell phones belonging to Crooks were recovered during the investigation: one near his body and another at his residence, which contained a limited number of contacts, according to Fox News. The incident has raised significant concerns and prompted ongoing scrutiny into Crooks’ motives and background by law enforcement agencies.
