Trump Gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks Researched JFK Assassination One Week Before Deadly Shooting: ‘How Far Away Was Oswald From Kennedy?’
![Trump Gunman Thomas Crooks Researched JFK's Assassination One Week Before Deadly Shooting: ‘How Far Away Was Oswald From Kennedy?’](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/piZqGKVhM/480x251/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-1721847501545.jpg 480w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/piZqGKVhM/640x335/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-1721847501545.jpg 640w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/piZqGKVhM/768x402/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-1721847501545.jpg 768w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/piZqGKVhM/1024x536/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-1721847501545.jpg 1024w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/piZqGKVhM/1280x670/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-1721847501545.jpg 1280w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/piZqGKVhM/1440x753/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-1721847501545.jpg 1440w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/piZqGKVhM/1600x837/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-1721847501545.jpg 1600w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/piZqGKVhM/2160x1130/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-1721847501545.jpg 2160w)
Theories about the CIA's involvement in JFK's assassination have also circulated for decades.
Thomas Matthew Crooks showed a strange fascination with President John F. Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald in the days leading up to his attempted assassination of Donald Trump.
FBI Director Christopher Wray, 57, detailed the extent of Crooks’ interest in the 35th president and his assassin during a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
![donald trump gunman thomas crooks jfk assassination deadly shooting](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/dzTGHC83L/480x252/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-1-1721847527473.jpg 480w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/dzTGHC83L/640x335/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-1-1721847527473.jpg 640w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/dzTGHC83L/768x402/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-1-1721847527473.jpg 768w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/dzTGHC83L/1024x536/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-1-1721847527473.jpg 1024w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/dzTGHC83L/1280x670/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-1-1721847527473.jpg 1280w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/dzTGHC83L/1440x754/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-1-1721847527473.jpg 1440w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/dzTGHC83L/1600x838/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-1-1721847527473.jpg 1600w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/dzTGHC83L/2160x1131/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-1-1721847527473.jpg 2160w)
Crooks searched on Google on July 6: “How far away was Oswald from Kennedy?”
According to Wray, the 20-year-old Bethel Park, Pennsylvania native researched Kennedy’s assassination on July 6 of this year, asking Google: “How far away was Oswald from Kennedy?”
The FBI director noted: “That’s a search that obviously is significant in terms of his state of mind.”
Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, came almost 61 years before Crooks climbed atop a factory rooftop, positioned his father’s AR-15-style rifle, and fired a hail of eight bullets at former President Trump, 78, in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.
Trump’s right ear was grazed by one bullet, while another bullet struck and killed 50-year-old rally attendee Corey Comperatore.
![donald trump gunman thomas crooks jfk assassination deadly shooting](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/LM3PSbFrK/480x252/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-2-1721847536642.jpg 480w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/LM3PSbFrK/640x335/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-2-1721847536642.jpg 640w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/LM3PSbFrK/768x402/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-2-1721847536642.jpg 768w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/LM3PSbFrK/1024x536/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-2-1721847536642.jpg 1024w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/LM3PSbFrK/1280x670/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-2-1721847536642.jpg 1280w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/LM3PSbFrK/1440x754/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-2-1721847536642.jpg 1440w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/LM3PSbFrK/1600x838/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-2-1721847536642.jpg 1600w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/LM3PSbFrK/2160x1131/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-2-1721847536642.jpg 2160w)
Crooks fired a hail of eight bullets at Trump on July 13. One bullet struck the former president's right ear.
But math geek Crooks’ interest in Kennedy’s assassination was not the only revelation shared by Wray during his appearance before the House Judiciary Committee this week.
The FBI director confirmed previous reports Crooks had visited the Butler Farm Show grounds on July 7 – less than one week before the assassination attempt.
According to Wray, Crooks – whose photo was first obtained and shared with the world by RadarOnline.com earlier this month – returned to the site of the rally on July 13 with a drone to scope out the venue.
Wray told the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday: “It appears that around 3:50 PM, 4:00, in that window, on the day of the shooting, that the shooter was flying the drone around the area.
![donald trump gunman thomas crooks jfk assassination deadly shooting](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/qcHjfI88d/480x252/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-5-1721847582446.jpg 480w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/qcHjfI88d/640x335/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-5-1721847582446.jpg 640w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/qcHjfI88d/768x402/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-5-1721847582446.jpg 768w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/qcHjfI88d/1024x536/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-5-1721847582446.jpg 1024w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/qcHjfI88d/1280x670/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-5-1721847582446.jpg 1280w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/qcHjfI88d/1440x754/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-5-1721847582446.jpg 1440w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/qcHjfI88d/1600x838/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-5-1721847582446.jpg 1600w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/qcHjfI88d/2160x1131/donald-trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-jfk-assassination-deadly-shooting-5-1721847582446.jpg 2160w)
RadarOnline.com was the first to obtain and share these two photos of Crooks in the aftermath of the shooting.
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“Not over the stage, but about 200 yards, give or take, away from that.”
Crooks would ultimately perch himself just 164 yards away from Trump’s position before firing off the volley of bullets that left thousands of rally attendees reeling and Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle forced to resign from her role.
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As for the 20-year-old would-be assassin’s motive, Wray admitted it was still not clear – even despite gaining access to Crooks’ phone and internet search history.
Wray said: “We’re hoping to learn more. It’s fair to say we do not yet have a clear picture of his motive.”
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FBI Director Christopher Wray appeared before the House Judicial Committee on Wednesday to discuss Crooks and the botched assassination attempt.
He also condemned the attack on Trump’s life and acknowledged the ongoing interest in the matter, saying: “The attempted assassination of the former president was an attack on our democracy."
“I recognize the congressional and public interest in this case.”
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