Donald Trump’s would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks had explosives in the car he drove to the Pennsylvania rally and used a firearm purchased by his father.
Authorities found the ‘explosive devices’ in the 20-year-old’s vehicle and home after Secret Service agents shot and killed him seconds after he opened fire on the former president, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Matthew Crooks, 53, legally purchased the AR-15 that his son used to attempt to assassinate Trump on Saturday.
Thomas Crooks killed one rallygoer, now revealed to be Corey Comperatore, and critically injured two others who are being treated at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh while attempting to take out Trump.
A bullet struck the former president in his right ear but his campaign says he is otherwise ‘fine.’
Crooks, who graduated high school just two years ago, parked his vehicle near the rally site in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday before scaling to the roof of a nearby industrial manufacturing building and targeting Trump.
Authorities assert that they dispatched bomb technicians in response to several complaints of suspicious items found close to the gunman’s car.
Investigators worked well into the night to make sure the scene was clear, which included searching Crooks’ home and speaking with his family.
The FBI search led to the discovery of more bombs in the family’s Bethel Park home, according to reports.
Police and the Secret Service descended on the neighbourhood where Crooks is thought to have resided with his parents.
Those who spoke to DailyMail.com said the family were quiet and kept to themselves.
After firing shots at the probable Republican presidential nominee and former president on Saturday, Crooks was killed by USSS in a matter of seconds.
As Trump grabbed his right ear and ducked behind the podium, his security detail created a wall of bodies around him while the gunman was taken out.
With blood running down his face, Trump stood up, raised his fist in the air and repeatedly yelled ‘fight’ as he was escorted off stage by suited members of the Secret Service.
The would-be assassin was a registered Republican and a 2022 high school graduate. Records show Crooks donated on the day of the 2020 inauguration to a progressive group backing President Joe Biden.
On Saturday, just before 6:15 p.m., Crooks fired an AR-style rifle at Trump from a rooftop 130 yards away from the Butler rally stage.
How on earth did this assassin manage to climb onto the roof, and why were there no drones doing surveillance?
People died and were injured on Saturday, and that is very sad, but we also need to be asking how this was allowed to happen, although knowing the truth doesn’t trivialise someone’s death. The better thing would be to stop this from happening again.
They found bombs at the family home. Did the parents know about them? Were they involved, and how did the FBI ID the killer so quickly? Especially since he had no criminal record.
They discovered bombs, but I don’t see any proof of this.
This young man was presumably just another lonely, invisible man who yearned to be acknowledged, heard, and accepted but was rejected by society. He had access to a rifle, which is a deadly combination, and now no one will forget his name, which is just what he wanted.
So, just to be clear! A twenty-year-old man with a rifle just strolled through the world’s best security. He has no prior military experience. Unbelievable, right? He entered the rooftop while USSS snipers were looking on. He then fired repeatedly, hitting multiple targets before they returned fire.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 