Bomb-making materials found in vehicle, home of suspect in Trump assassination attempt
Bomb-making materials were found inside the vehicle and home of the man suspected in the attempted assassination of former President Trump, law enforcement officials told The Associated Press (AP) on Sunday.
Law enforcement officials, speaking on the conditional of anonymity, told the AP the bomb-making materials were found in both the car and home of the suspected gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pa.
Authorities on Sunday swarmed a home in Bethel Park, Pa., believed to be connected to Crooks, CBS News reported. The road to the home was shut down Sunday, and neighbors were evacuated, CBS added.
The discovery came less than a day after Crooks allegedly opened fire at a Trump rally at a farm show in Butler, Pa., wounding the former president and killing one spectator. Two other attendees were critically injured, the U.S. Secret Service said.
Authorities fatally shot Crooks on the scene moments after the incident.
Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with state-level prosecutors, executed warrants on Sunday to determine the suspected gunman’s motive and how he came in possession of the weapon and explosive materials, The New York Times reported.
The suspected gunman fired with an AR-style rifle from an “elevated position outside of the rally venue,” the Secret Service said, raising questions over how the suspect was able to get close enough to the former president. The roof, where the gunman was reportedly positioned, was less than 150 meters from where the former president was speaking, the AP noted.
Investigators said the weapon Crooks used was believed to have been purchased by his father at least six months ago, per the AP. Officials are still working to understand when and how Crooks obtained the gun, the news wire added.
Crooks’s political affiliations were not immediately clear.
Trump on Sunday morning called on Americans to unite, adding that “God alone prevented the unthinkable from happening.”
“In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “I truly love our Country, and love you all, and look forward to speaking to our Great Nation this week from Wisconsin.”
Story was updated at 4:04 p.m.
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