FBI Director Christopher Wray revealed startling new information Wednesday about Thomas Matthew Crooks, the gunman responsible for the recent shooting at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Testifying before a congressional hearing, Wray disclosed that Crooks had conducted online searches related to Lee Harvey Oswald’s assassination of President John F. Kennedy just days before the attack.
“On July 6, he did a Google search for ‘How far away was Oswald from Kennedy?'” Wray told lawmakers, describing the search as “significant in terms of his state of mind.” This revelation comes as investigators continue to probe for a conclusive motive behind the attack, the New York Post reported.
The FBI director provided a detailed timeline of Crooks’ activities leading up to the shooting. Crooks visited the rally site three times, including twice on the day of the incident. He operated a drone near the main stage approximately two hours before Trump’s speech, livestreaming footage for about 11 minutes.
Wray also disclosed the discovery of three “relatively crude” explosive devices associated with Crooks, two in his car and one at his residence. While these devices had remote detonation capabilities, the transmitter found on Crooks’ body appeared to be non-functional.
Despite these findings, the investigation has yet to uncover evidence of accomplices or co-conspirators. Wray described Crooks as a “loner” with a short list of contacts and noted that his laptop’s search history didn’t point to an immediate motive for targeting Trump specifically.
The hearing also touched on broader security concerns, with Wray warning about ongoing terror threats, including an alleged Iranian assassination plot against Trump. “We need to recognize the brazenness of the Iranian regime,” he cautioned.
This congressional testimony follows the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who faced bipartisan criticism for her agency’s handling of the incident. Cheatle had previously described the near-assassination as the “most significant operational failure” in decades.
As multiple agencies continue their investigations, the incident has left a tragic mark, resulting in the death of volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore and seriously injuring two others.
The FBI, along with the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, are conducting thorough investigations into the shooting, aiming to prevent future security breaches at high-profile political events.
