operated a drone over the rally area, and was found to have explosives in their vehicle, according to the FBI director.
WASHINGTON – FBI Director Christopher Wray verified on Wednesday that the individual who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump conducted a search to determine the distance between President John F. Kennedy and his assailant at the time of the shooting.
According to Wray, the individual who carried out the shooting at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, recently utilized a drone to survey the vicinity two hours prior to the campaign speech. Additionally, the perpetrator had two unsophisticated explosive devices in their vehicle.
During his testimony to the House Judiciary Committee, Wray disclosed that on July 6, the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, conducted a Google search to determine the distance between assassin Lee Harvey Oswald and Kennedy in 1963. On that very day, he enrolled for the rally scheduled on July 13.
“That is a search that clearly has importance for his mental state,” Wray stated.
According to Wray, Crooks initially visited the rally grounds approximately one week prior to the shooting, and his visit lasted for approximately 20 minutes. According to Wray, the shooter returned to the grounds in the morning of the rally for approximately 70 minutes before leaving again and then permanently returning in the afternoon.
Additionally, it was revealed that the shooter utilized an AR-style rifle equipped with a collapsible stock. FBI Director Wray suggested that this feature may have contributed to the shooter’s ability to conceal the weapon without being noticed.
“We have not yet encountered any individuals who have personally witnessed him carrying the weapon and walking around prior to the incident,” stated Wray. “The collapsible stock is a highly significant feature that is relevant to that.”
According to Wray, the drone and controller were discovered inside the perpetrator’s vehicle. According to Wray, the drone was airborne at approximately 3:50 p.m. and remained in flight for approximately 11 minutes. It was observed livestreaming from a location approximately 200 yards away from the stage where Trump was speaking.
According to Wray, the FBI is analyzing two explosive devices found in the shooter’s vehicle and one explosive device discovered in his residence. Crooks possessed a receiver at the time of his demise, which was connected to the devices. However, the equipment did not seem to have the ability to activate the “relatively unsophisticated devices,” as described by Wray, the head of the Secret Service.
Wray stated that investigators currently hold the belief that the perpetrator ascended to the roof using mechanical apparatus located on the ground and piping attached to the side of the building, rather than utilizing a ladder.
“We are skeptical that he utilized a ladder to ascend to that location,” Wray stated.
FBI agents discovered eight cartridges at the location where the gunman was killed, indicating that he discharged that number of rounds. Prior to the attack, the assailant transmitted encrypted messages, a practice that FBI Director Wray lamented as increasingly prevalent in order to impede law enforcement efforts.
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, expressed the desire of lawmakers to obtain further information regarding the reasons behind the denial of additional security for Trump’s campaign team prior to the rally, the failure to secure the buildings at the rally, and the decision to allow Trump on stage despite the presence of a suspicious individual observed by the crowd with a range finder.
Jordan concentrated on the specific five-minute period between 6:09 p.m., when the assailant was recognized, and 6:14 p.m., when Trump was escorted away from the stage with injuries.
Jordan emphasized the necessity of obtaining a detailed account of events, including a comprehensive record of all communications that occurred, in a sequential and precise manner, within the crucial five-minute timeframe.
The photographs of Trump and Biden taken by the gunman may not necessarily be obtained from targeted searches. Federal Bureau of Investigation:
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a Democratic representative from California, inquired about the presence of photographs of political figures such as Trump, President Joe Biden, and others on the phone of the assailant.
Wray stated that investigators have not discovered a manifesto or clear motive for the shooting. According to him, the pictures were stored in the cache of Crooks’ electronic devices as a result of news searches, rather than as a direct consequence of searching for a public official.
“There is a substantial amount of ongoing work and a significant amount of work remaining,” Wray stated. “We will thoroughly investigate every possible avenue.” Although the shooter may have died, the FBI’s investigation is still in progress.
The testimony of Wray comes after the resignation of the chief of the Secret Service:
Wray testified the day after Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned due to her admission of a “colossal failure” in protecting Trump at the Pennsylvania rally.
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee strongly criticized Cheatle during a hearing on Monday for failing to provide a satisfactory explanation for how a gunman managed to ascend onto the roof of a building located within a distance of 150 yards from the former president and discharge eight rounds, one of which hit Trump in the ear. A single participant of the rally lost their life.
Wray, who was appointed by Trump, has faced criticism from certain Republicans who are upset about the arrest of Trump supporters involved in the Capitol storming on January 6, 2021, during the certification of President Joe Biden’s 2020 election win.