Trump Shooter Used Father’s Rifle; Explosives Found in Vehicle and Home

Explosives have been discovered in the vehicle and home of the gunman who targeted Donald Trump, the former President and Republican presidential candidate.

On the 14th, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and Associated Press (AP), bomb-making materials were found in the vehicle and home of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the suspect who was shot dead at the scene after firing at Trump the previous day.

The WSJ reported that the suspect’s vehicle was parked near Trump’s rally site in Butler, Pennsylvania. Police received multiple reports of suspicious materials seen around the suspect and immediately continued the investigation.

The AP, citing multiple police sources, reported that the firearm used in the crime was legally purchased by the suspect’s father at least six months ago.

CNN reported that the suspect, who was shot dead at the scene, did not have any identification on him. As a result, authorities used the registration information of the AR-15-style rifle used in the crime to identify him.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified Crooks, a white male in his twenties from Pennsylvania, as the suspect in the attempted assassination of Trump.

Authorities added that the investigation is ongoing, and the motive for the crime has not yet been confirmed.

Crooks was reported to be registered as a Republican in the Pennsylvania voter roll.

However, it was also confirmed that he donated $15 to a progressive voter group on the day of President Biden’s inauguration, January 20, 2021.

According to major foreign media outlets, the FBI stated at a press briefing that they consider the shooting incident targeting Trump to be a solo act by Crooks and do not see any additional threat to the public.

The FBI also said they found no evidence that Crooks had a mental illness or exhibited threatening behavior online, nor could they confirm any involvement with a specific ideology. While they are investigating the case as an attempted assassination, they are also considering the possibility of domestic terrorism.