In a shocking revelation, the FBI has disclosed that Thomas Crooks, the 20-year-old who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump, made a search for pornography on his cellphone just before the shooting. This disclosure comes from a senior law enforcement source who spoke to The Daily Beast.
Discovery and investigation
According to the unnamed source, the FBI’s Operational Technology Division in Quantico, Virginia, uncovered the search history after gaining access to Crooks’ encrypted Samsung phone. Initial efforts by the Pittsburgh field office to unlock the Android device were unsuccessful, leading to its transport to Quantico via an FBI plane.
The phone’s recent activity was otherwise limited to texts from Crooks’ parents inquiring about his whereabouts. They believed their son had gone to the shooting range where he practiced. The texts, which started around 1 p.m., continued throughout the afternoon. “By 6 p.m. he was dead,” the source confirmed.
Ongoing examination
The FBI has largely completed its analysis of the phone and is now examining Crooks’ laptop and several hard drives recovered from his bedroom. Investigators are seeking clues into why Crooks, who lacked clear political motivations or known psychiatric issues, carried out the attack on Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
While Crooks’ gunfire only grazed Trump, it resulted in the injury of two rally attendees, one of whom died. The Secret Service counter-sniper team killed Crooks in response. Trump mentioned in his speech at the Republican National Convention that the Secret Service used a single bullet to neutralize the threat.
Alongside four rifle magazines found beside Crooks, agents discovered a remote control capable of triggering explosives in his vehicle.
Context and profile
The discovery of pornography searches on Crooks’ phone was not unexpected by law enforcement. The source noted that similar findings have been observed in other high-profile cases, including the Sandy Hook elementary school shooter Adam Lanza, and various al Qaeda suspects.
This finding contributes to the broader profile of Crooks, who lived with his parents approximately 40 miles from the rally venue. He had recently graduated from community college and worked at a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center near his home.
Additional reports revealed that Crooks had searched for information on both Trump and President Joe Biden, the Democratic National Convention, and even members of the British royal family.
He also looked up information on Ethan Crumbley, the 2021 Michigan high school shooter, and the subsequent prosecution of Crumbley’s parents for failing to secure the handgun used in the mass shooting.