Washington — The FBI on Wednesday released four new photos from its investigation into the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally, as well as new information about what the bureau has learned about the shooter.
The FBI’s investigation into the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13 remains ongoing, and the bureau has still not identified a motive or evidence that the gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, worked with any others.
But Kevin Rojek, head of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, said investigators “believe [Crooks] ended in detailed attack planning.” Rojek said agents have determined Crooks had a “mixture of ideologies” and investigators continue to analyze his online presence.
The first photo made public by the FBI shows Crooks’ rifle, which was recovered from the shooting site. The firearm was as AR-style rifle made by DPMS Panther Arms and had an extendible rear stock and an optical sight attached to the rail, the FBI said.
The second photo from the FBI shows Crooks’ rifle broken-down and pictured alongside a backpack he was seen wearing at the site of Trump’s rally in Butler. FBI Director Chris Wray told House lawmakers last month that Crooks’ gun had a collapsible stock, which he said could explain why rally-attendees didn’t see him with it.
Wray said the first people at the rally who saw Crooks with a gun observed him when he was on the roof of the so-called AGR building, where he opened fire.
The third photo released by the FBI shows two improvised explosive devices that were discovered in the trunk of Crooks’ car.
The FBI said the receiver for remote detonation was in the “off” position, and the “devices had several problems in the way they were constructed.”
Wray testified before Congress that the FBI recovered a total of three “relatively crude” devices: two from Crooks’ vehicle and one from his residence. The gunman had a transmitted that would’ve allowed him to detonate the devices in his car remotely, but the receivers were turned off, he said.
The fourth and final photo from the FBI is an image of the air conditioning unit that Crooks’ used to gain access to the roof of the AGR building. The photo is not an evidence photo, but was take during a tour of the rally site in the days after the assassination attempt, according to the FBI.
Melissa Quinn is a politics reporter for CBSNews.com. She has written for outlets including the Washington Examiner, Daily Signal and Alexandria Times. Melissa covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts.
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