On July 13 last year, President Donald Trump—then a presidential candidate—was shot as he spoke to supporters at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Moments after a bullet grazed his ear, he defiantly raised his fist and shouted “Fight! Fight! Fight!” The scene bolstered support for Trump—who said that God had saved him—and he went on to triumph in November’s election.
His would-be assassin, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, had first caught the attention of law enforcement that day when spectators noticed him acting strangely outside the event.
But couldn’t be found before he climbed onto a roof near the rally and opened fire. He killed a bystander and injured two others before he was shot dead by the Secret Service.
The incident revealed worrying security lapses and led to the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. An independent panel investigating the attempted assassination said the agency needed “fundamental reform.”
But a year on, many questions remain unanswered about the young man who came close to taking Trump’s life.
What Was Thomas Matthew Crooks’ Motive?
The FBI looked at Crooks’ cellphone and his computer, and searched his home and car, yet his motive remains a mystery.
He left no manifesto or explanation for his actions and his social media footprint was thin. He had no prior criminal record, and was an engineering student with a strong academic record, including a top score on the SAT, The New York Times reported.
Investigators found conflicting signs about his politics—he registered as a Republican when he turned 18, though he had earlier donated $15 to a committee backing Democrats. He conducted dozens of searches related to Trump and former President Joe Biden in the month before the shooting. The Times obtained logs of Crooks’ online activity, reporting that about a week before the shooting, he registered for Trump’s rally and did an online search asking: “How far was Oswald from Kennedy?”
Did Crooks Have Accomplices?
The FBI and Secret Service have said that Crooks appeared to have acted alone, but theories about Crooks having an accomplice or accomplices have continued to swirl.
Doug Hagmann, a private investigator hired to look into the case by a private client, told the New York Post in February that his team of investigators had conducted geofencing analysis of electronic devices that did not belong to Crooks but were found with him at his home and other locations he frequented, including his high school.
“We don’t think he acted alone,” Hagmann told the newspaper. “This took a lot of coordination. In my view, Crooks was handled by more than one individual and he was used for this.”
Did Crooks Plan a Larger Attack?
Some evidence suggests Crooks may have been planning a larger attack.
A crude homemade bomb was found in Crooks’ bedroom, according to the Times. Bomb-making materials were found in his home in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as well as explosive devices in Crooks’ car.
Crooks also attempted to purchase more than two gallons of nitromethane—a chemical that can be used as an explosive—from an online retailer, CBS News reported earlier this year.
Why Was Crooks Cremated So Soon After the Attack?
The FBI’s handling of the investigation has come under criticism.
Representative Clay Higgins, a Louisiana Republican who investigated the assassination attempt, criticized the FBI for releasing Crooks’ body for cremation just 10 days after the shooting. Higgins said the move could only be described as an “obstruction to any following investigative effort.”
The FBI said accusations that it was interfering with efforts to probe the attempted assassination were “inaccurate and unfounded,” adding that the body was released to Crooks’ family in coordination with the coroner’s office and local law enforcement partners.
“Nothing was rushed and everything was documented as part of the investigation,” the FBI said in a statement.
What Role Did His Family Play?
Crooks’ parents have declined all interviews. They reportedly live in seclusion, leaving many questions about his background unanswered.
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