The man the FBI said carried out an attempted assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump had explosive material in his car, multiple outlets reported Sunday, citing unnamed sources with knowledge of the investigation, the latest development as authorities try to piece together why gunfire erupted at a campaign rally Saturday night.
Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign ... [+]
The FBI identified Crooks as the suspected shooter in the early hours of Sunday morning but has released little additional information about the man or identified a motive for the shooting.
Law enforcement officials found explosive material allegedly belonging to Crooks, which were found after multiple reports of suspicious packages around the shooter's location, The Wall Street Journal and CNN reported.
CNN also reported explosive material was found in Crooks’ residence.
Crooks was shot and killed by Secret Service after firing shots at the Trump campaign event from a nearby building that was outside the rally and an AR-style rifle was recovered at the scene, authorities said.
Crooks was a 2022 graduate of Bethel Park High School and registered Republican with no criminal history, The New York Times reported.
He donated $15 to the Progressive Turnout Project, a Democratic voter contact campaign in 2021, but did not seem to be otherwise politically involved.
Little else is known about the man from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, who was not old enough to have voted in a presidential election before.
Crooks was identified as the shooter using his DNA and biometric information, law enforcement officials said.
CNN reached Crooks’ father, Matthew Crooks, on Saturday but the man said he would not speak to the public about his son until he figured out “what the hell is going on” and spoke to law enforcement.
The FBI said the investigation into the shooting is ongoing and officials said they are working to identify both a motive and if Crooks acted alone.
Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.
’Who else was killed at the rally. Law enforcement officials have not identified the attendee who died from their injuries. Trump said in a post to Truth Social on Saturday: “We pray for the recovery of those who were wounded, and hold in our hearts the memory of the citizen who was so horribly killed.”
Trump was hosting a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday evening, about an hour from Crooks’ hometown of Bethel Park, when several gunshots were fired. Trump ducked behind a podium and was surrounded by Secret Service agents, who ushered him off the stage with blood visible on the right side of his face. Trump later said he was "shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear.” The former president pumped his fist into the air several times as he was escorted away to loud cheers from his audience. The bullets were fired from several hundred feet away, local District Attorney Richard Goldinger told CNN. President Joe Biden said in a statement he is "grateful" to hear Trump was safe and condemned acts of political violence.
"We will FEAR NOT, but instead remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness," Trump posted Sunday morning. "Our love goes out to the other victims and their families."