Former US attorney: Here's where investigators will look after Trump rally shooting

The shooting Saturday during former President Donald Trump's campaign rally in Pennsylvania will be thoroughly investigated now by law enforcement to determine whether an attempted assassination is part of a broader plot or plan that could put others at risk.

“This is an act of domestic terrorism," said Matthew Schneider, a former United States attorney in Detroit and now a partner at the Honigman law firm.

One person at the rally was killed and two others were seriously injured. The suspected shooter, who was identified as 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, is dead.

Trump was recovering after he was injured in the right ear and plans to speak at the GOP convention in Milwaukee, which begins Monday.

Law enforcement initially establishes its command post, with the U.S. Secret Service in charge of that, he said, and FBI likely will take part in that investigation.

More: How many US presidents have been shot? A look back at history

More: 'Praying,' 'Horrified': Michiganders react to shooting at Pennsylvania Trump rally

"Right now, they are probably on their way to the shooter's house," Schneider said Saturday evening.

"They're obtaining search warrants. They're trying to identify whether or not this is a larger conspiracy and whether or not other people are involved."

Think employment records. Telephone records. Finding out all the details about the shooter's life. "They'll be up all night for days trying to get to the bottom of that," Schneider said.

As of Saturday evening, Schneider said, it would be impossible to know whether the suspected shooter acted alone. Officials confirmed the shooter is dead.

"They're still trying to determine to make sure that this threat from this person is the end of it," Schneider said.

Barbara McQuade, also a former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan and a current University of Michigan law professor, tweeted: "One thing I learned about crisis response — there is a lot of conflicting information that spills out. Important to await accurate facts and avoid falling for misinformation."

For law enforcement, Schneider said, it is always key to rule out other potential threats.

Schneider referenced the incident in Detroit involving an attempted Christmas Day bombing of Northwest Flight 253 in 2009 when he said law enforcement acted quickly to investigate if it was a bigger plot.

And he said that has to be the mindset of law enforcement right now during a presidential election where President Joe Biden and Trump and others are likely to continue doing campaign events. "They want to make sure no one else is at risk as well," Schneider said.

Law enforcement needs to identify all the potential threats, he said, and make sure those aren't real threats.

"Is this a lone wolf? Is this a solo actor?" Schneider said. "Or are there other conspirators involved? If there are, who are those people and where are they?"

Schneider served on the legal staff of President George W. Bush as senior advisor and assistant general counsel in the White House Budget Office. He also served in the Trump administration as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Schneider said he was in northern Michigan when he heard news of the shooting and thought it was awful. "I would hope that would be the same thought that every American had whether they are Republicans or Democrats."

Many Americans wonder how such a horrific shooting could take place at a campaign event. But Schneider said he's been aware of so many plots to murder federal officials that were foiled that he's surprised it took this long for shooting like this to take place.

"It's a good thing that it hasn't happened until now," Schneider said.

When he was U.S. attorney from 2018-2021, Schneider took part in investigating the plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and worked on that case early on. "That's another example of a plot to kill and do harm to an elected official. That one was stopped before it happened."

In a highly charged election, some Trump supporters might be tempted to blame the Biden administration for falling short somehow, not picking up on some clues. But Schneider said people shouldn't go that route or think that way.

"This shooter is a lunatic," Schneider said. "That's the person to blame. I wouldn't blame anyone else."

A thorough Congressional investigation, he said, is likely to determine what mistakes, if any, might have been made. The key area to be investigated, he said, is whether the rings of security around Trump were wide enough for adequate protection.

Trump rallies and Biden campaign events, he said, aren't likely to end.

“It’s probably not going to stop people from going to Trump rallies," Schneider said. "In fact, people might be encouraged to go to show that they’re not afraid of intimidation.”

Should people change the way they support their candidate? Take extra care wearing T-shirts or hats? Putting up lawn signs? Are individuals at more risk? Should we start looking at our lives differently?

After the Sept. 11 attacks, Schneider noted, then President Bush famously told the country that people needed to continue to live their lives. And he said the same would apply now when it comes to going about our routines and activities.

"If we change our lives dramatically, then we've scored a win for the terrorists who did this to us," Schneider said.

Contact Susan Tompor: [email protected]. Follow her on X (Twitter) @tompor.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Former US attorney: What’s next in Trump rally shooting probe