Former President Donald Trump will be interviewed by the FBI following an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, led by Special Agent Kevin Rojek, aims to gather Trump’s observations from the event as part of their standard investigative procedure for federal crime victims.
On July 13, Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, was shot in the ear by 20-year-old Thomas Crooks during a campaign rally. The incident also resulted in the death of Corey Comperatore, 50, and serious injuries to two others. Crooks was ultimately shot and killed by snipers at the scene.
FBI investigations have revealed that Crooks, described as a “highly intelligent” but reclusive individual, was identified by law enforcement as a suspicious person more than an hour before the shooting. A local officer photographed Crooks and shared the image with other officials at the rally. Despite this, Crooks managed to position himself on a rooftop and open fire.
Authorities have uncovered extensive planning by Crooks, including online searches related to mass shootings, explosive devices, and historical assassination attempts. On the day he registered for the rally, Crooks researched the distance from which Lee Harvey Oswald shot President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Investigators also found chemical precursors for explosive devices in Crooks’s car.
While Crooks’s motive remains unclear, his parents have fully cooperated with authorities and were unaware of his plans. The FBI is treating the incident as an act of “domestic terrorism” and an attempted assassination.
In response to the attack, FBI Director Christopher Wray has pledged a thorough investigation. The incident has prompted scrutiny of security measures at the rally, leading to the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. “I take full responsibility for the security lapse,” Cheatle stated in her resignation email to staff. “In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director.”
Trump’s upcoming interview with the FBI is part of the broader effort to understand the events leading up to the assassination attempt and to enhance security measures for future events.
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