Trump Shooter Googled For JFK Assassination, Flew Drone Near Rally: FBI

The gunman in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump conducted a Google search one week before the shooting, querying "How far away was Oswald from Kennedy?" FBI Director Christopher Wray disclosed on Wednesday, revealing new details about a suspect with an interest in public figures but without clear ideological motives.

The July 6 online search, found on a laptop linked to 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, referenced Lee Harvey Oswald, who killed President John F. Kennedy from a sniper's perch in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963.

"This search is significant in understanding his state of mind. It coincides with the day he registered for the Trump rally scheduled for July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania," Wray informed the House Judiciary Committee.

The FBI is investigating the shooting, which resulted in the death of one rallygoer and serious injuries to two others, as an act of domestic terrorism. Crooks was killed by a Secret Service countersniper. The investigation, occurring months before the presidential election, has drawn intense scrutiny as lawmakers and the public demand more information about Crooks' motives, marking the most serious attempt to assassinate a president or presidential candidate since President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981.

While the FBI has constructed a detailed timeline of Crooks' movements and online activity, the exact motive, or why Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, was targeted, remains unclear, Wray said.

"A lot of the usual repositories of information have not yielded anything notable in terms of motive or ideology," Wray noted.

The FBI believes Crooks acted alone.

Wray pointed out that Crooks had shown interest in public officials, including Democratic President Joe Biden and other prominent figures. In the days leading up to the shooting, Crooks appeared particularly fixated on Trump.

Crooks is believed to have visited the rally site a week before the event, staying for about 20 minutes, and returned on the morning of July 13. About two hours before the shooting, Crooks flew a drone approximately 200 yards from the rally site for 11 minutes, using the device to livestream and observe the scene behind him.

The drone, recovered from Crooks' car along with a controller, raised questions about security lapses, especially given its proximity to the rally site just hours before Trump took the stage.

On the day of the rally, Crooks drew law enforcement attention due to his odd behavior, including carrying a backpack and using a range finder to peer toward rooftops behind the stage where Trump was scheduled to speak.

Using mechanical equipment and vertical piping, Crooks managed to climb onto the roof of a manufacturing building within 135 meters (157 yards) of the stage. He fired eight shots from an AR-style rifle before being killed.

The FBI suspects Crooks avoided detection because his weapon had a collapsible folding stock, Wray explained.

Wray assured lawmakers that the FBI would "leave no stone unturned" in its investigation.

"I have been saying for some time now that we are living in an elevated threat environment, and tragically the Butler County assassination attempt is another example - a particularly heinous and public one - of what I've been talking about," Wray stated.

The hearing, scheduled well before the shooting as part of routine oversight of the FBI and the Justice Department, was dominated by questions about the incident.

While the FBI has so far escaped the level of scrutiny faced by the Secret Service over security failures that led to the resignation of Director Kimberly Cheatle, Wray still faced antagonistic questions from the Republican-led committee. This reflects the lingering perception that the FBI and Justice Department have been politicized against Trump, an allegation Wray has consistently denied.

This sentiment was evident early in the hearing when committee chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, remarked: "I'm sure you understand that a significant portion of the country has a healthy skepticism regarding the FBI's ability to conduct a fair, honest, open and transparent investigation."