Thomas Crooks’ cellphone has supplied federal investigators no clear explanations about why the 20-year-old from suburban Pittsburgh tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump, legislation enforcement sources advised The Put up.
Investigators have now turned their consideration to the shooter’s laptop computer within the hopes of uncovering clues about his motive — a query that has confirmed nonetheless elusive two days after the capturing that rocked the nation.
Investigators have been in a position to piece collectively some clues about Crooks’ actions in earlier than the capturing at 6:11 p.m. on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Earlier within the day, he purchased 50 rounds of ammunition from Allegheny Arms & Gun Works and a metallic ladder from House Depot, which he used to climb to the roof of a manufacturing facility with a transparent sight-line to Trump’s podium, sources mentioned.
Sources mentioned the AR-style assault rifle Crooks used belonged to his father — Matthew Brian Crooks, a licensed counselor who registered to vote as a Libertarian.
Observe The Put up’s newest tales on the assassination try towards former President Donald Trump:
The dad known as police someday Saturday to report that his son was lacking — together with one of many roughly 20 weapons he owned and stored of their modest suburban house in Bethel Park, about 25 minutes south of Pittsburgh, in keeping with sources.
In the meantime, Jim Knapp, who retired from his job as the varsity counselor at Bethel Park Excessive College in 2022, mentioned Crooks had at all times been “quiet as a churchmouse,” “respectful” and stored to himself, though he did have a number of pals.
He not often got here throughout Crooks as a result of “he wasn’t a needy sort child,” Knapp mentioned. Crooks was content material to sometimes eat lunch by himself within the college cafeteria, mentioned Knapp, who would interact such college students to see in the event that they wished firm.
“Children weren’t calling him names, children weren’t bullying him,” Knapp mentioned.
Knapp mentioned he by no means knew Crooks to be political in any method, at the same time as different children would typically put on Trump or Biden apparel. He added that he couldn’t recall Crooks ever being disciplined at school.
“Anyone may snap, anyone may have points,” he mentioned. “One thing triggered that younger man and drove him to drive as much as Butler yesterday and do what he did.”
Investigators have been seen questioning Crooks’ dad and mom on Monday, and in addition reaching out to neighbors on their quiet road.
One neighbor, 38-year-old Kelly Little, advised The Put up she didn’t have a lot to supply investigators – however mentioned she discovered that Crooks had an older sister named Katherine.
Crooks, who graduated from Bethel Park Excessive College in 2022, had no obvious political leanings whereas he was at school, in keeping with his college counselor Jim Knapp, who described the boy as “quiet as a churchmouse.”
“Children weren’t calling him names, children weren’t bullying him,” Knapp mentioned, recalling him as any person content material to be a loner.
“Anyone may snap, anyone may have points,” the counselor mentioned, including that he was baffled about what would possibly have triggered it.
“One thing triggered that younger man and drove him to drive as much as Butler yesterday and do what he did.”
— With Put up wires
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