Trump Shooter Researched and Stored Snaps of Kate Middleton as He ‘Scoped Her Out’ Before Rally Shooting
Trump rally shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks researched and had photos of Kate Middleton before the attempted assassination.
July 19 2024, Published 4:34 p.m. ET
Donald Trump's would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks "scoped out the royals" and kept photos of Kate Middleton on his electronic devices, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The unsettling information came to light after a closed-door briefing between the FBI and U.S. politicians was leaked.
When asked questions about his son and why he wanted to kill Trump, his father, Brian Matthew Crooks said he would not be making any comment and would release a statement when the family's legal counsel told them to.
Prince William's wife was said to be among the topics the 20-year-old shooter researched online before he opened fire at Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Aside from his searches on the Princess of Wales, analysis of Crooks' devices revealed he additionally had photos of Trump, President Joe Biden and key dates for the upcoming Democratic National Convention.
Kate was identified as the member of the British royal family that Crooks researched before the shooting.
After the briefing, lawmakers said agents revealed Crooks also "scoped out" the Trump rally's venue beforehand.
Robert Wells, assistant director of the FBI counter terrorism division, announced the attempted assassination was being investigated as "an act of domestic terrorism".
FBI officials announced the attempted assassination is being investigated as an 'act of domestic terrorism'.
Since the shocking assassination attempt, right-wing commentators, Trump supporters and Republican politicians alike have grilled the Secret Service for security failures. Some have gone as far as attacking members of the ex-president's security detail simply because they are women — and claimed the female agents were unfit to handle the serious responsibilities of the job.
At the Republican National Convention, Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn berated Kimberly Cheatle, the Director of the Secret Service, and demanded "answers".
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Crooks' motives for the shooting are still under investigation.
Kevin Rojek, a special agent leading the FBI's Pittsburgh office and investigation into the assassination attempt, revealed the agency is still working to determine Crooks' motive.
Rojek told NPR: "We don’t have any kind of fidelity right now about the shooter’s action immediately prior to him engaging the former president."
As this outlet previously reported, the ongoing investigation has revealed startling details about Crooks on the day of the assassination attempt.
Crooks initially raised red flags when he was processed through security with a rangefinder, a device commonly used in long-range shooting to identify a target. Because he did not have a weapon on him, he passed through security, though officials noted to keep an eye on him.
Later, attendees notified officials when he was spotted scaling a nearby building — and chilling footage taken from the rally showed him lurking outside a secured area about an hour before shots rang out.
After Crooks was killed by law enforcement counter-snipers, he was found with a bullet-proof vest and remote control detonators in his pocket. Two remote controlled bombs were later discovered in his vehicle.