As the investigation into the failed assassination attempt on former President Trump continues, new information is being revealed about the would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks. Still, FBI investigators are tirelessly sifting through Crooks’ phone and internet history to determine a motive.
Despite thorough investigations, minimal evidence of a social media presence for Crooks has been found. The 20-year-old gunman had an account with the messaging and social media platform Discord, which has since been deleted after his death by Secret Service counter snipers.
Discord is an instant messaging platform that facilitates communication through voice calls, video calls, text messaging, and media sharing. It allows direct messages or group conversations in ‘servers.’ Unlike mainstream social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, Discord is a server-based messaging system where users form communities. These communities are not easily searchable or shareable outside their active members, particularly if a private server is used for communication. This was explained by gaming website Kotaku.
A company spokesperson stated to Kotaku: ‘We have identified an account that appears to be linked to the suspect; it was rarely utilized and we have found no evidence that it was used to plan this incident or discuss his political views.’ Crooks’ account was promptly deleted after he was identified as the gunman who attempted to assassinate former President Trump and succeeded in killing an innocent bystander.
Discord faced scrutiny following the 2022 grocery store shooting in Buffalo, where 10 people were murdered. The attack was planned for months in a Discord server, leading to criticism from New York law enforcement officials who deemed the platform’s threat monitoring as inadequate.
Further details have been uncovered regarding the sequence of events leading to the assassination attempt.
According to a law enforcement official, Crooks visited a local shooting range where he was a member and practiced shooting on Friday. The next day, he bought a five-foot ladder from a local Home Depot, which he used to access the roof from where he fired shots. He also purchased 50 rounds of ammunition from a gun store on Saturday.
Crooks then drove his Hyundai Sonata about an hour north from his home in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania to Butler township, where Trump was scheduled to hold a rally.
Investigators discovered that Crooks’ car was equipped with an improvised explosive device hidden in his trunk and connected to a transmitter he was carrying. Investigators believe he transported his newly bought ladder to a building approximately 130 yards from the former president’s podium. Despite being identified as a high-level security threat, he managed to scale the roof using the ladder. Law enforcement personnel inside the building noticed him surveying the area. When he returned with a backpack and began looking at his phone, a Secret Service counter sniper took his photo.
Officials speculate that Crooks planned to detonate his car to create a diversion for his attack.
It remains unclear how Crooks constructed the explosive devices found in his car. Investigators have not discovered any evidence of him researching how to build or wire explosive devices. Instead, they have found very little indicating planning or a motive.
The ‘AR-style rifle’ used in the attack was bought by Crooks’ father, Matthew Crooks. The weapon was one of over 20 registered to the elder Crooks when the family’s home was searched on Saturday.
(VOTE: Do You Think The Trump Shooting Was A Deep State Inside Job?)
Source: Trending Politics Conservative News and Commentary
Leave a Comment