The FBI has released new details and photos regarding the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. According to Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, the 20-year-old gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, conducted ‘extensive attack planning’ and became ‘hyper-focused’ on the Trump rally as a ‘target of opportunity’.Investigators revealed that Crooks made over 60 internet searches related to both Trump and President Joe Biden in the 30 days leading up to the attack, including queries about the grounds where the rally was held. The FBI also found that Crooks had been searching for information on bomb-making materials since at least 2019 and discovered explosive devices in his car and home.During the attack, Crooks fired eight shots from the roof of a nearby building before law enforcement responded. Trump suffered a gunshot wound to the ear, while one rally attendee was killed and two others were injured. The FBI has conducted nearly 1,000 interviews but has not yet determined a clear motive for the attack.In a separate development, Trump’s recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery has sparked controversy. Reports suggest that Trump’s campaign staff were involved in a ‘verbal and physical altercation’ with cemetery officials over photography restrictions in Section 60, where recent U.S. casualties are buried. Federal law prohibits political campaigning within military national cemeteries.Trump’s campaign has denied any physical confrontation, with communications director Steven Cheung stating that a private photographer was permitted and that an individual tried to block Trump’s team. The incident has led to calls for a public release of the cemetery’s incident report, with some critics accusing Trump of using fallen soldiers for political gain.
Key points
- FBI released new details about the July 13 assassination attempt on Donald Trump, revealing extensive planning by the gunman.
- The gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, conducted over 60 internet searches related to Trump and Biden events in the month before the attack.
- Trump’s recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery has sparked controversy over alleged confrontations regarding photography restrictions.
Contradictions👾Trump’s campaign denies any physical altercation at Arlington National Cemetery, while some reports suggest a ‘verbal and physical altercation’ occurred.
