New insights have emerged regarding the gunman who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump, revealed during a recent meeting between Trump and FBI officials, as reported by ABC News.
Trump participated in the FBI’s investigation following the shooting at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, where 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks injured Trump and killed another attendee, Corey Comperatore.
The 90-minute discussion, held on August 1, according to FBI special agent Kevin Rojek, is standard practice for gathering insight from victims. The FBI disclosed that Crooks was remarkably intelligent, having scored over 1500 on his SATs and showing signs of an undiagnosed disorder. Family members noted he displayed unusual behavior, like swaying at bus stops, but he had never been formally diagnosed.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Despite ongoing investigations, the reason behind Crooks targeting Trump remains unclear. Authorities revealed that Crooks searched for information on both Republican and Democratic figures just before the incident, suggesting he may have seen Trump as a prominent political figure visiting Pennsylvania.
During the meeting with FBI agents, Trump inquired whether foreign entities influenced the attack. According to the agents, they accessed three of Crooks’ foreign email accounts with no links to additional suspects.
Questions linger about how Crooks managed to approach Trump so closely at the rally. Lawmakers have scrutinized former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who resigned shortly after the shooting, for her oversight regarding security measures. There are reports indicating that law enforcement noticed Crooks among the security detail prior to the attack.
In a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, Trump expressed confidence in the FBI’s efforts, stating, “I think they’ve done a very good job,” regarding the ongoing investigation.