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Staff Writer

FBI Gains Access to Suspected Trump Shooter’s Phone

Top Points:

  1. FBI Accesses Shooter's Phone: FBI agents have accessed the phone of Thomas Crooks, who was identified as the shooter in the attack on former President Donald Trump. Specialists are analyzing the phone and other electronic devices for further insights.

  2. Shooting Incident Details: Thomas Crooks, a registered Republican and former dietary aide, fired shots at former President Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The former president sustained a minor injury, while a former fire chief, Corey Comperatore, was killed, and two others were wounded.

  3. Security and Investigation: The shooting occurred from a building outside the event’s security perimeter. Pennsylvania State Police and the FBI are investigating the incident to identify any security lapses and prevent future occurrences. The U.S. Secret Service is also involved in the investigation.


Full Report:

The Bureau also searched the home of Thomas Crooks.


In a significant development, FBI agents have gained access to the phone of Thomas Crooks, the individual identified by law enforcement officials as the shooter in the attack on former President Donald Trump. This information was disclosed in a statement by the FBI on July 15.


Specialists are currently analyzing the phone along with other electronic devices that belonged to Crooks. Crooks was fatally shot by law enforcement outside a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, after he fired shots at the former president.


The FBI has conducted a thorough search of Crooks' home and vehicle and has interviewed nearly 100 law enforcement officers, rally attendees, and other witnesses. Additionally, the bureau is examining tips that have emerged since the incident, including photos and videos from the scene.


Video footage of the Crooks family home showed law enforcement personnel speaking with an individual who answered the door.


Crooks, 20, was a Bethel Park High School graduate and worked as a dietary aide at a local nursing home. He was a registered Republican who had donated to a liberal group in January 2021.


The FBI confirmed that Crooks used a legally purchased AR-style rifle in the attack. One of the bullets grazed former President Trump's right ear. The former president is reported to be in good condition and appeared with a bandage over his ear at the Republican National Convention on Monday.


Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old former fire chief, was also struck by a bullet and tragically lost his life. Two other men, David Dutch of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and James Copenhaver of Moon Township, Pennsylvania, were wounded but are in stable condition as of Sunday.


The shots were fired from the top of a building approximately 430 feet from where former President Trump was speaking. Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens mentioned that the building was outside the event’s security perimeter.


“It is incredibly difficult to have a venue open to the public and to secure that against any possible threat from a very determined attacker,” Bivens stated. “That’s a huge challenge to try to manage.”


Bivens also indicated that the investigation into the shooting would help identify any security failures and improvements that could be made in the future.


Eyewitnesses at the rally reported seeing Crooks on the roof of the building before the shots were fired and alerted the police about his suspicious behavior. A Butler Township police officer, who was investigating the reports, encountered Crooks on the roof but did not engage him and instead moved to the ground. A sniper subsequently killed Crooks seconds after he fired his AR-15 toward the former president.


The FBI stated that Crooks was not previously known to them and that a motive for the shooting has not yet been determined.


Kimberly Cheatle, director of the U.S. Secret Service, said that her agency is collaborating with federal, state, and local authorities to understand the incident and prevent similar events in the future. Despite calls for her resignation, the White House has affirmed that President Joe Biden has confidence in Cheatle.


Attempts to reach the address listed for Crooks have not been successful.


Original Story by Zachary Stieber; Jack Phillips and the Associated Press also contributed to this report, The Epoch Times


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