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Post by Admin on Jul 14, 2024 12:36:54 GMT
What was his motivation? Agencies are investigating his motive and whether anybody else was involved. "We do not currently have an identified motive," said Kevin Rojek, FBI Pittsburgh special agent in charge, at a briefing on Saturday night. The inquiry into what took place could last for months and investigators would work "tirelessly" to identify what Crooks' motive was, Mr Rojek said. Speaking to CNN, Crooks’ father, Matthew Crooks, said he was trying to figure out “what the hell is going on” but would “wait until I talk to law enforcement” before speaking about his son. ![](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/3554/live/095feee0-41db-11ef-b74c-bb483a802c97.png.webp) One witness told the BBC that he had seen a man – believed to be Crooks - with a rifle on the roof of a building before Trump was shot at. BBC Verify analysed footage and confirmed that the gunman opened fire from on top of a flat warehouse building less than 200m from the former president. Video footage obtained by TMZ shows the moment the shooting began. The assailant opened fire with “an AR-style rifle”, the BBC’s US partner CBS News reports. However, the FBI says it could not immediately ascertain what type of firearm the gunman used or how many shots were fired. A Secret Service sniper returned fire and killed the gunman, the agency said. Footage later shows armed officers approaching a body on the roof of the building.
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Post by Admin on Jul 14, 2024 18:09:25 GMT
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Post by Admin on Jul 14, 2024 18:57:14 GMT
His campaign has asked for additional protection, but their request has fallen on deaf ears, according to sources.
Trump does not receive counter assault and counter sniper defenses as well as aviation coverage, leaving him vulnerable, sources said.
At Friday’s event in Pennsylvania, local law enforcement were on scene to assist, but their capabilities are limited compared to the Secret Service — which falls under the Department of Homeland Security.
The gunman was posted on the roof of a manufacturing plant more than 130 yards away from the stage. The unidentified shooter was quickly killed by Secret Service snipers, but not before he nicked the president, killed a rally-goer and seriously injured another.
If a sitting president was speaking at the event Friday, the Secret Service would have more agents on the scene monitoring low points and high points — like the one where the gunman had positioned himself, sources said.
When Trump hosted a campaign rally in The Bronx in May, Secret Service did not provide the former president with a counter assault team or a counter sniper team, sources said. Instead, the New York Police Department provided him with an aviation counter sniper and counter assault complement.
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Post by Admin on Jul 14, 2024 22:31:45 GMT
Explosives were found in the suspect's vehicle and home, and investigators are investigating whether they are connected to the assassination attempt.
The suspect fired multiple shots at Mr. Trump during his speech from the roof of a building away from the rally venue. He was then shot dead by the Presidential Guard (Secret Service).
Crooks lives in Bethel Park, south of Pittsburgh, about 55 kilometers from the venue. The house is located in a quiet residential area, and on the 14th, the day after the incident, the surrounding roads were closed and the area was quiet, with the exception of police officers and American media reporters.
The suspect will graduate from a local high school in 2022. According to a high school classmate who told US media, the suspect was bullied and lived a lonely life at school. It is said that he even attended classes dressed as if he were going hunting.
The suspect allegedly shot at Mr. Trump with an AR15 semi-automatic rifle owned by his father. Despite its high lethality, the rifle is available to civilians in the United States and is frequently used in mass shootings.
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Post by Admin on Jul 14, 2024 23:38:20 GMT
The owner of a popular pro-gun YouTube channel responded to news on Saturday that the man who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump had been wearing his brand’s T-shirt. In a post to Instagram, Matt Carriker, who runs the popular channel “Demolition Ranch,” shared an image of the deceased shooter alongside the caption “What the hell.” http://instagram.com/p/C9YthvPuybM The shooter, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by authorities at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, after firing at Trump. The former president was struck in his upper ear but otherwise came out of the attack without any serious injuries. Following the shooter’s death, social media was flooded with misinformation regarding both his identity and key parts of the event. One factor noticed by many, however, was Crooks’ Demolition Ranch shirt.
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