Trump's Shooter Reportedly Googled This Past President's Assassination Before Shooting: FBI Director

Thomas Matthew Crooks, the "lone" gunman who shot Donald Trump, did some research before carrying out the assassination attempt. The new details have emerged from the FBI investigation that revealed the 20-year-old shooter reportedly googled the 35th President John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963 as revealed by FBI director Christopher Wray. 

Wray testified on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in front of the House Judiciary Committee about the July 13 shooting incident. The bullet grazed through Trump's right ear leaving it injured, another member of the crowd died and two others were left wounded. According to the investigation, Crooks used a firearm with a "collapsible stock," likely making it easier to hide. Also, he didn't use the ladder to access the rooftop, instead, he climbed up. 

The FBI director told lawmakers, "We will not and do not tolerate political violence of any kind, especially a despicable account of this magnitude," calling the assassination attempt "an attack on our democracy and our democratic process." Meanwhile, he also added that before the July 13 incident, the Pennsylvania gunman searched "how far away was Oswald from Kennedy" on July 6, 2024, and later registered for Trump's rally, per BBC. 

"[Thomas] became very focused on President Trump and his rally," continued the director, adding the internet search was "obviously significant as to [the shooter's] state of mind" and that he googled this the same day as he registered for Trump rally in Butler Pennsylvania. The gunman reportedly searched news articles for other public figures as well. 

Lee Harvey Oswald, President Kennedy's assassin killed the former president while he was on the road at a motorway rally along with his wife Jacqueline on November 22, 1963. Oswald shot from a book depository in Dallas as his motorcade passed by. According to the Warren Commission report that investigated Kennedy's assassination, he was shot at his neck at a range of 174.9ft to 190.8ft, or about 53.3m to 58.1m.

Furthermore, Wray revealed in his testimony that Crooks was keeping an eye on Trump's rally area with a drone. "Around 4 p.m., [Crooks] was flying the drone around the area," not directly over the stage but approximately 200 yards from it. He monitored the area with the drone for 11 minutes and as per the investigators, he could see the live feed from the device, per CNN.

Wray said the investigators have been able to "reverse-engineer the flight path of the drone from the day of the rally" and now presume that the drone footage "would have shown [the shooter] what would have been behind him. It was almost like giving him a rear-view mirror of the scene behind him."

How did he climb up the roof? Wray stated that the gunman used equipment and piping to reach the top and not any ladder. "We now believe the subject climbed onto the roof using some mechanical equipment on the ground and vertical piping on the side of the AGR building. In other words, we do not believe he used a ladder to get up there." 

Trump was immediately escorted off the stage as his right ear was wounded by the shot. Luckily, he survived the attempt at his life and the shooter was killed by a police sniper.