BETHEL PARK, Pa. — FBI Director Christopher Wray revealed on Wednesday that Thomas Crooks’ family had greater than a dozen firearms in their Pennsylvania residence and that father Matthew Crooks legally sold his son the weapon that the 20-year-old would use in his assassination try on former President Trump.
“We located a number of firearms associated with the shooter and his family,” Wray advised the House Judiciary Committee. “I think it was a total of … 14 in the house.”
“The weapon that he used for the attempted assassination was an AR-style rifle that was purchased legally,” Wray mentioned. “We believe, based on what we’ve seen, that his father, after purchasing the gun, legally sold the gun to his son.”
This revelation got here on the identical day that Mary Crooks, the mom of the would-be Trump murderer, was pictured exterior for the primary time since her son opened fireplace on the rally in Butler.
The gunman’s mom, who’s blind, was guided by her husband from their blue Toyota Tacoma into their Bethel Park residence round 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Matthew Crooks opened her automobile door for her and held her hand as they entered the home.
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The youthful Crooks was a “fairly avid shooting enthusiast,” Wray mentioned throughout Wednesday’s testimony.
In addition to the AR-15 and magazines for the rifle, a bulletproof vest and “crude” explosive gadgets that could possibly be detonated remotely had been discovered in Crooks’ automobile after he was shot lifeless by a Secret Service sniper, Wray mentioned.
The FBI director mentioned the company continues to be looking for a manifesto or different clues that might decide the 20-year-old Crooks’ motive for the assault that nearly killed Trump, injured two rallygoers and killed retired volunteer fireplace chief Corey Comperatore on July 13. He added that the bureau’s behavioral evaluation unit was assembling a profile of the shooter.
Thomas Matthew Crooks (Handout by way of AFP)
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The FBI has performed greater than 400 interviews in their investigation of the taking pictures. Typically, the FBI doesn’t focus on ongoing investigations, however Wray mentioned on Tuesday that “the attempted assassination of the former president was an attack on our democracy” and that he “recognize[d] the congressional and public interest in this case.”
The gunman’s father told reporters this week that his family was not prepared to touch upon their son’s actions.
Matthew Crooks leaves a grocery store in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, on July 22, 2024. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
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“We’re going to release a statement when our legal counsel advises us to do so. Until then, we have no comment,” he advised Fox News Digital earlier than starting to load groceries into his car exterior a Shop ‘n Save close to the family’s residence. “We just want to try to take care of ourselves right now. Please, just give us our space.”
