Thomas Matthew Crooks, the man accused by the FBI of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump, “saved images” of the former Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, according to NPR.
“Crooks had saved images of President Biden, Trump, Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales,” NPR reported. He also searched for “dates of Trump speaking events as well as the Democratic National Convention” and the term “major depressive disorder,” NPR added, citing a briefing the FBI gave to members of Congress.
The FBI has not publicly confirmed the report. The UK Telegraph also noted that Crooks “had searched online for various high-profile figures as he ‘scoped out’ the target for assassination, including an unnamed member of the British Royal family,” attributing this information to the same briefing.
OK! Magazine labeled Crooks’ fixation on British royalty, particularly Princess Kate Middleton, as an “obsession.”
In an official statement, the FBI said, “The FBI has identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the subject involved in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on July 13, in Butler, Pennsylvania.”
NPR reported that Crooks, who was killed at the rally scene by a sniper, had two cell phones: a primary phone and a second one found at his home.
The Washington Post revealed that Crooks was a registered Republican who had made a $15 donation to a progressive group, though his motive remains unclear. This donation is confirmed on the website of the Federal Election Commission. The Post also confirmed that Crooks had images of “a member of the British royal family” on his phone but did not specify which member.
“Crooks had researched Oxford High shooter Ethan Crumbley as well as his mother and father,” the Post added.
Jillian Peterson, co-founder of the Violence Prevention Project, told The Washington Post, “This is a person likely trying to make headlines, going out in a final act. This is the thing that they’re going to be seen for.”
The FBI confirmed it accessed Crooks’ phone but has not publicly revealed its contents. “FBI technical specialists successfully gained access to Thomas Matthew Crooks’ phone, and they continue to analyze his electronic devices,” the FBI wrote in a July 15 statement.
On July 14, the FBI stated that the motive was not yet clear: “The FBI has not identified a motive for the shooter’s actions, but we are working to determine the sequence of events and the shooter’s movements prior to the shooting, collecting and reviewing evidence, conducting interviews, and following up on all leads. We have also obtained the shooter’s telephone for examination.”
Former President Trump revealed in a Truth Social post that he was shot in the ear during the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. “I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin,” Trump wrote.
FBI Director Christopher Wray stated in a news conference, “The shooter may be deceased, but the investigation is very much ongoing. And, because of that, we are limited in what we say at this point.”