The 20-year-old man authorities said opened fire at a political rally in Butler County had photos and searches of both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on his cellphone, several news outlets reported Thursday citing unnamed sources.
Sources told CNN that the gunman’s search history, dating back to the spring, included dates of the Democratic National Convention along with future Trump events.
News outlets reported that authorities believed Crooks posted a message on gaming platform Steam referencing the date of July 13, but CNN later said officials now think that account was fake.
FBI investigators reported gaining access to Crooks’ phone on Monday after it was found, along with an AR-style gun, next to him on a roof Saturday evening after the shooting at the Butler Farm Show grounds. Trump was wounded in what investigators have called an assassination attempt. He said a bullet pierced the upper right part of his ear. The Associated Press reported that no official information about Trump’s condition has been released. Trump has appeared this week at the Republican National Convention with a bandage on his ear.
One rally attendee, Corey Comperatore, 50, of Buffalo Township, was killed while protecting his family. Visitation is set for him Thursday in Freeport with a funeral scheduled for Friday. Two spectators — David Dutch, 57, of Plum and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon — were hurt and remain hospitalized.
More than 200 interviews have been conducted as investigators continue to search for a motive behind the shooting. They provided an update to U.S. lawmakers Wednesday afternoon.
Crooks lived in Bethel Park with his parents. He also searched major depression disorder, the sources told news outlets.
After the Butler event was announced, the gunman visited the rally site twice, including the day of the shooting, sources told the outlets. He also had images saved to his phone of other prominent lawmakers.
Meanwhile, the Secret Service continues to face scrutiny for the security lapse that allowed the gunman to scale a building about 150 yards from the stage to fire multiple shots before being killed by Secret Service agents. Video released by news outlets this week showed rally goers pointing the gunman out to police moments before gunfire was heard.
A video obtained by TribLive appeared to show the gunman lurking around the complex about an hour prior to the shooting. Police helping the Secret Service at the rally learned about a suspicious person and a Butler Township officer eventually encountered the gunman on the roof, according to Butler Township manager Tom Knights. The officer let go of the roof’s edge and fell to the ground after Crooks pointed a gun at him, Knights said. Shots were fired moments later.
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told NBC News that the person was not initially identified as a threat, but as a suspicious person, which meant further investigation was needed to determine if there was a danger.
Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle has said in interviews with national news outlets that the shooting never should have happened. She and others, including Butler County officials, have been summoned to testify before U.S. lawmakers. A group of Republican senators confronted her at the Republican National Convention Wednesday seeking answers, according to a video posted on social media by a Tennessee lawmaker.
Authorities reportedly found explosives in the gunman’s vehicle.
Officials believe the gunman acted alone. The shooting is being investigated as a potential act of domestic terrorism. Investigators have said the gun used was legally owned by Crooks’ father.
Crooks was a registered Republican who, at 17, donated $15 to a group called the Progressive Turnout Project, which aims to boost Democratic voter turnout, according to Federal Election Commission reports.
He graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022 and worked as a dietary aide at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The Community College of Allegheny County confirmed that he graduated in May with an associate degree in engineering science.
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