WASHINGTON — The 20-year-old man from Pennsylvania who tried to kill Donald Trump had photos on his phone of former Republican President Joe Biden and other officials, including Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Chris Wray, two sources familiar with the matter said.
Investigators searching Thomas Matthew Crooks’ equipment have also found that the shooter accessed the dates of the Democratic National Convention and Trump’s appearances, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press anonymously to discuss details of the ongoing investigation.
The FBI is looking for clues about what prompted Crooks to open fire on Saturday’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in an attempt to assassinate the GOP presidential candidate. The FBI has said it is investigating the shooting as a possible act of domestic terrorism, but has not yet established a clear ideological motive. The FBI gained access to Crooks’ cellphone, searched his computer, home and car, and has interviewed more than 100 people so far.
Crooks killed one participant and seriously wounded two others. Trump suffered an ear injury but was not seriously injuredand appeared at the Republican Party convention in Milwaukee a few days later with a bandage over the wound.
The shooter also had sought major depressive disorder, according to three people familiar with the investigation. But researchers have not yet determined whether he was actually diagnosed with the disorder, one of the people said. Studies have shown that the vast majority of people with mental illnesses are not violent, and experts say most people who are violent do not have mental illnesses.
During a conference call with reporters on Sunday, Kevin Rojek, the special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh office, said, “We have no indication of any mental health issues.”
Crooks was using an AR-style rifle, which authorities said was legally purchased by his father. Investigators also found that he had multiple loaded magazines on him. He also bought 50 rounds of ammunition the day of the shooting. Authorities found a bulletproof vest in his car and another rudimentary explosive device in his home. He had received several packages there in the past few months, including some containing potentially dangerous materials.
The shooting raised serious questions about why police were unable to stop the man from climbing onto a roof and opening fire. There are multiple investigations into the security failures, including a Department of Homeland Security inspector general investigation into the The Secret Service’s handling of safety.
The Republican chair of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on Wednesday issued a subpoena to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to appear before the committee on Monday. Republicans have called for Cheatle to resign in the wake of the shooting, though she has said she has no plans to do so.
Local police had seen Crooks walking around the perimeter of the rally, carrying a large backpack and looking through the lens of a rangefinder toward the rooftops behind the podium where the president would later stand, officials told the AP.
An image of Crooks was circulated by officers stationed outside the security perimeter. Witnesses later saw him scale the side of a low production building 157 yards (135 meters) from the stage. He then readied his AR-style rifle and lay on the roof, with a detonator in his pocket to detonate crude explosives hidden in his car parked nearby.
Butler Township Manager Tom Knights said in a statement to The Associated Press on Thursday that officers were searching for a suspicious person around the time Trump arrived. Officers did not find him near the building, so a Butler Township officer attempted to gain access to the roof by having another officer hoist him up, Knights said. The officer saw a person on the roof and that person pointed a gun at the officer, Knights said.
“The officer was in a defenseless position and there was no way he could have attacked the actor while he was holding onto the roof edge,” Knights said. The officer fell to the ground and Butler Township officers “immediately advised the location of the individual and that he was in possession of a weapon,” Knights said.
Moments later, Crooks began shooting, sending panicked spectators running for cover as Secret Service agents secured Trump and pulled him off the stage. Two anti-sniper teams were positioned on buildings behind Trump, and the team farther away from Crooks fired once, killing him.
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Associated Press reporter Michael R. Sisak in Butler, Pennsylvania, contributed.