More details reportedly emerge about Trump shooter’s family life, internet searches
BUTLER, Pa. – The Trump rally shooter searched “major depressive disorder” before he nearly killed the former president, FBI director Chris Wray told Congress, according to reports.
Investigators uncovered the medical search on Thomas Matthew Crooks’ cellphone, along with the times and dates of the Democratic and Republican national conventions and photos of Trump and President Biden, The New York Times reported.
Crooks appears to be on good terms with his parents, who are both counselors, but they weren’t part of his daily life, according to The Times.
Wray revealed the investigators’ findings during Wednesday’s congressional hearing, where he said the FBI has conducted 200 interviews and combed through 14,000 images on Crooks’ phone.
FBI’S 200 INTERVIEWS AND SEARCH OF 14,000 IMAGES LED TO … NOTHING?
Despite the voluminous investigation, there is still no definitive motive for Saturday’s attempted assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania, Wray told lawmakers during a hearing Wednesday.
Crooks also visited the rally site at least one time before Saturday’s shooting, Wray reportedly said.
FOLLOW LIVE UP-TO-MINUTE DETAILS OF ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told Fox News Digital that he thought it was “bull—-.”
“I’m not buying that they have nothing,” Burchett said. “I don’t have faith in this administration. If they (the Secret Service) don’t want conspiracy theories, they have to move quickly and answer tough questions.”
The Oversight Committee subpoenaed Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who agreed to comply. A hearing is scheduled for July 22.
“Americans demand and deserve answers from Director Cheatle about the attempted assassination of President Trump and the Secret Service’s egregious failures,” the Oversight Committee said in an X post shortly before 7 p.m. Wednesday.
TRUMP SHOOTER’S CLASSMATE GIVES FOX NEWS DIGITAL SURPRISING INSIGHT
The FBI declined to comment on potential motive theories or whether they have crossed any motives off their list or responded to lawmakers’ comments.
A 50-year-old father of two, former fire chief Corey Comperatore, was killed while shielding his family during Saturday’s shooting.
David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74, were seriously wounded and are now recovering in a hospital.
Secret Service snipers “neutralized” Crooks, who had set up on a roof overlooking the rally about 150 yards from where Trump was speaking.
How Crooks got onto the building’s roof and fired off multiple shots remains under investigation and has led to finger-pointing between the Secret Service and local police.
Crooks would have turned 21 years old in September. He had no reported criminal record or traffic citations.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Crooks was a registered Republican, according to voting records, but he had only participated in the Nov. 8, 2022, state election, due to his age.
FBI releases update about Trump shooter’s motive, lawmaker issues fiery response
BUTLER, Pa. — The FBI conducted 200 interviews and combed through 14,000 images but said they still don’t have a clear motive behind the attempted assassination of former President Trump at a campaign rally Saturday in western Pennsylvania.
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., who’s on the House Oversight Committee, told Fox News Digital that he thinks it’s “bulls—” that federal investigators don’t have a motive yet.
“I’m not buying that they have nothing,” Burchett said Wednesday. “I don’t have faith in this administration. If they (the Secret Service) don’t want conspiracy theories, they have to move quickly and answer tough questions.”
Burchett said they subpoenaed Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who agreed to comply, according to the Oversight Committee’s post on X. A hearing is scheduled for July 22.
FOLLOW LIVE UP-TO-MINUTE DETAILS OF ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION
“Americans demand and deserve answers from Director Cheatle about the attempted assassination of President Trump and the Secret Service’s egregious failures,” the Oversight Committee said in its X post shortly before 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Attached to the post was the full subpoena.
Wray told Congress that Trump’s would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, used his cellphone to search for images of President Biden and Trump as well as symptoms of depressive disorder before the shooting, according to CBS News.
TRUMP SHOOTER’S CLASSMATES GIVES FOX NEWS DIGITAL SURPRISING INSIGHT
Crooks also visited the rally site in Butler, Pennsylvania, at least one time before Saturday’s shooting, CBS reported.
The FBI declined to comment on potential motive theories or if they’ve crossed any motives off their list or respond to lawmakers’ comments.
A 50-year-old father of two, former fire chief Corey Comperatore, was killed while shielding his wife and daughters during Saturday’s shooting.
David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74, were seriously wounded and are now recovering in an area hospital.
LAST WORDS OF ‘HERO’ FIREFIGHTER WHO DIED AT TRUMP RALLY SHOOTING REVEALED
Secret Service snipers “neutralized” Crooks, who set up on a roof overlooking the rally less than 150 yards from where Trump was speaking.
How Crooks entered the building and fired off multiple shots remains under investigation and has led to finger-pointing between the Secret Service and local police.
A search by Fox News Digital revealed that Crooks would have turned 21 years old in September. He had no reported criminal record or traffic citations.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Crooks was a registered Republican, according to voting records, but he only participated in the Nov. 8, 2022, state election due to his age.
Republicans share hopes, expectations for Trump’s first speech since shooting
MILWAUKEE – Republicans at the RNC in Milwaukee spoke to Fox News Digital about what they hope and expect to hear from former President Trump when he delivers his first speech since a failed attempt on his life at his last rally.
“We’re at an amazing turning point, an inflection point in America,” Ohio’s Republican Attorney General Dave Yost told Fox News Digital.
“President Trump, rising off the ground after that awful evil attempt on his life showed strength of character and determination and heart that America has been hungry for and I think this showcase allows him to get past the legacy media filter and to address the American people at a moment when they’re looking for a message of strength and stability and hope and I think he’s going to be able to bring that. This is his moment.”
LIVE UPDATES: REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
Political consultant and Trump surrogate Mehek Cook told Fox News Digital she expects a message of “unity” from the former president.
“I believe he started that movement as voters continued to abandon Joe Biden in droves. Black voters, Hispanic, even the youth in swing states are now for President Trump but I think Saturday changed everything,” Cooke said.
“An assassination attempt on President Trump truly proved that the American spirit was attacked and when he got up and yelled fight, fight, fight without a prompter, that was his first inclination to tell the American people that he’s okay and that he’s standing with them. It showed hope in America.”
TRUMP SHOOTER TOLD BOSS HE NEEDED DAY OFF BEFORE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, GAVE THREE-WORD REASON: REPORT
Cooke continued, “It showed that he’s truly a beacon of light. I believe that he’s going to stand on stage and talk about unifying America. It’s not about just unifying Republicans. It’s independents. It’s Democrats. It’s you. It’s me. It’s the everyday average American voter and I think that this pick with JD Vance is truly a generational shift and a change. It’s not about the next four years. It’s a legacy. It’s 12 years to undo what Joe Biden has done to this great country. So it’s unity 2024 all the way for President Trump.”
DONALD TRUMP’S SECRET SERVICE PROTECTION UNDER INVESTIGATION FOLLOWING ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
“There are people who are going to be tuning into President Trump’s speech who haven’t yet made their mind up, who the next president of the United States should be and that is an opportunity to tell these voters where you stand on issues that matter most to them,” Former GOP Congressman Lee Zeldin told Fox News Digital.
“President Trump has an opportunity to outline not just what was great about his first term in office, his successes when he did in this job for a term, but his positive, uplifting vision for America, if he has the opportunity to serve as the 47th president.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Trump will close out the 2024 GOP convention on Thursday night with his first speech since a 20-year-old gunman tried to assassinate him in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday.
Trump told the Washington Examiner after nearly losing his life that he rewrote the speech he intended to give.
“The speech I was going to give on Thursday was going to be a humdinger,” Trump told the outlet. “Had this not happened, this would’ve been one of the most incredible speeches. Honestly, it’s going to be a whole different speech now.”
Biden campaign insists president ‘staying in this race’ despite reports he’s wavering
MILWAUKEE – President Biden’s re-election campaign is pushing back against a slew of reports in the past 24 hours that the president has become more receptive in the last couple of days to hearing arguments about why he should drop his 2024 re-election run.
“Our campaign is not working through any scenarios where President Biden is not at the top of the ticket. He is and will be the Democratic nominee,” Biden principal deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks told reporters at a news conference Thursday morning near the site of the Republican National Convention.
Fulks emphasized that “the president has said it several times. He’s staying in this race” and “we look forward to him accepting the delegates in Chicago and continuing with this race to talk about what’s at stake.”
WHAT TRUMP IS EXPECTED TO SAY AT HIS GOP CONVENTION SPEECH THURSDAY NIGHT
Following his disastrous debate performance last month in his face-to-face showdown with former President Trump, the 2024 GOP presidential nominee, the 81-year-old Biden has been facing questions about whether he has the physical and mental capabilities to serve another four years in the most demanding job in the world.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
And politically, Biden’s been pushing back against a rising chorus of calls to end his campaign from elected Democrats, who are deeply concerned about the possibility of the party not only losing the White House but both houses of Congress in the fall election.
Reports over the past 24 hours indicated that top Democrats – including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – have had frank conversations with Biden about the president ending his campaign.
Asked a second time at the news conference if Biden may consider stepping aside, Fulks responded that the president “is not wavering on anything. The president has made his decision. I don’t want to be rude, but I do not know how many more times we can answer that. Joe Biden has said he is running for president of the United States. Our campaign is moving forward.”
Classmate of would-be Trump assassin shares his nickname, how he acted in school
BETHEL PARK, Pa. – A former classmate of would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks says the 20-year-old gunman was quiet with a small friend group, noting that she would never have pegged him for his actions at the Trump rally.
Sarah D’Angelo, a nursing student, shared with Fox News Digital her scant interactions with Crooks as the pair attended school together for eight years and shared a homeroom classroom at Bethel Park High School.
D’Angelo painted a portrait of Crooks’ personality, interests and perception at the school.
“He had a small friend group,” D’Angelo said. “He wasn’t a loner but was not the most popular kid in the class.”
4 QUESTIONS TRUMP SHOOTER’S FAMILY, ACQUAINTANCES ARE BEING ASKED BY FBI: FORMER OFFICER
The 20-year-old’s political leanings have been a hot topic, with people pointing to his Republican voter registration and others pointing to his $15 campaign donation to a progressive political action committee.
D’Angelo said Crooks did not reveal his political affiliation in class, even as the classmates shared an American politics class in high school.
“We had [an] American politics class. It was half a year during senior year,” she said. “And he never made any of his political views outward.”
Crooks’ classmate said they shared homeroom together in high school as well as a few classes, including Advanced Placement classes.
“In homeroom, he would play on his computer a lot. He was very into that,” she said. “And he would sit with just a few friends at lunch.”
SECRET SERVICE INCREASED TRUMP’S PROTECTION AFTER IRANIAN PLOT TO ASSASSINATE HIM
D’Angelo said she did not recall Crooks being bullied in high school, adding that there were other people in the school who she thought were “more capable.”
“Maybe other people in the school that I thought would probably more be capable of such a thing, and he’s definitely not one of them, I would think of,” she said. “But it’s also because he didn’t talk to a lot of people. So, you don’t really know what’s going on inside his head.”
Crooks, she described, was a good student and graduated with honors. Bethel High School gave honors students either silver or golden cords representing their educational achievement.
In a photo of his high school graduation, Crooks is seen wearing a silver cord. D’Angelo said the silver cord represented a 3.85 or higher cumulative GPA.
D’Angelo, who was sitting near Crooks during the pair’s high school graduation, recalled her last interaction with the student turned assassin.
WHAT FBI SEARCHING TRUMP SHOOTER’S PHONE, LAPTOP AT QUANTICO ARE LOOKING FOR: FORMER AGENT
“He was just a few seats away from me [at the graduation ceremony], D’Angelo said. “I remember talking to him and another kid, just commenting on the day and the length of the ceremony.”
Crooks, his classmate said, was smart and interacted regularly in class discussions.
“He participated as much as a normal person would,” she said. “He was always kind to the people around him.”
D’Angelo said that when she first heard the news of the unsuccessful attempt on the 45th president’s life, she thought it was her classmates’ relative.
FORMER CLASSMATE RECALLS TRUMP SHOOTER GRILLING HIM OVER SUPPORT OF FORMER POTUS: ‘DID NOT LIKE POLITICIANS’
“It’s shocking to hear someone from your high school, that you knew, would do something as tragic as that,” she said. “I honestly originally thought it was a relative, because I heard Thomas, and he never went by that. He went by Tom or Tommy.”
The classmate said they were supposed to attend Trump’s rally at the Butler Farm Show fairgrounds in Butler, but they decided against it at the last minute.
“It’s sad, and I was so nauseous on Sunday hearing about it because you don’t think something like that would happen so close,” D’Angelo said. “I don’t want to speak for all of us, but we just really want to move on from this.”
D’Angelo reiterated what other classmates and residents have shared, saying their town of 33,000 does not want this incident to define their town.
CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“This is a community, a close community that is family-oriented,” she said. “We’re good American citizens, and Bethel High School is really close.”
“This experience just did not seem to add up to happen in Bethel Park,” she said. “Our hearts go out to the families that were affected in this.”
Would-be Trump assassin’s sister described by neighbor in interview
The sister of the man who opened fire on former President Trump on Saturday is a “hardworking” woman with two jobs, according to a report.
A neighbor of Katie Crooks said she moved out of her family home three years ago into an apartment – and that her now notorious brother helped her transfer her belongings.
“The person who helped her, I couldn’t tell if it was a male or a female,” the neighbor told the New York Post. “A couple of days later, I asked if it was one of her siblings and she said it was her brother. The one who shot Trump… He was real scrawny.”
The neighbor said her father, Matthew Brian Crooks, was physically incapable of assisting with the move, and instead drove a moving van while his son hauled items.
ERIC TRUMP ‘PISSED OFF’ FOR SECRET SERVICE AGENTS IN LINE OF FIRE, DEMANDS ANSWERS
The neighbor told the outlet that Katie Crooks was an industrious “go-getter” who worked as a janitor at a local high school as well as a waitress at a local eatery.
“She’s real friendly,” the neighbor said of the registered Republican. “She’s a nice girl. I couldn’t say a bad word about her.”
The Crooks clan has yet to comment publicly on the shooting, but have been cooperating with the FBI as they try to pin down a motive for the near assassination.
Fox News Digital reported Wednesday that Crooks’ parents called police several hours before the shooting.
TRUMP SHOOTER THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS’ PARENTS REGISTERED PENNSYLVANIA PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS: RECORDS
A woman presumed to be the shooter’s sister has been photographed bringing luggage into the family’s Bethel Park home in the days after the incident, according to local outlets.
The older sister was presumably spotted exiting her red Hyundai Kona on Monday night and bringing in luggage to the Crooks family home in Bethel Park, according to footage from local and national outlets.
It was also recently revealed that Thomas had graduated from the Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh in May, having majored in engineering science, according to the school.
“Like all Americans, we are shocked and saddened by the horrific turn of events that took place in Butler, Pa., on Saturday,” the college said in a statement.
NEIGHBOR SAYS TRUMP SHOOTER’S FAMILY HAD NO POLITICAL SIGNS IN YARD AS PARENTS’ AFFILIATIONS SURFACE
“We are grateful that former President Trump is safe and recovering, and we extend our condolences to the family of Corey Comperatore on their loss, and offer our thoughts and prayers to all others who have been impacted by this tragedy.”
Following his graduation, the would-be Trump assassin was set to attend Robert Morris University near Pittsburgh in the fall, college officials confirmed to The Post.
“Our hearts go out to former President Trump, the family of Mr. Corey Comperatore, and anyone physically or emotionally harmed by this tragic event,” university officials said.
“We stand against violence in all its forms and are committed to fostering a safe and supportive community for all.”
NEW PHOTO SHOWS TRUMP SHOOTER’S CELLPHONE, TRANSMITTER FOUND NEAR HIS BODY
Law enforcement sources told The Post that investigators are still searching for clues as to why Crooks climbed on top of a roof and opened fire on Trump with his father’s AR-style rifle.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
A search of his phone on Monday did not yield a clear motive, the sources said.
Trump’s eldest grandchild talks about ‘caring’ grandpa she knows at RNC
Kai Trump, the eldest grandchild of former President Trump, spoke on day three of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she sharedthe side of her grandpa that “people don’t often see.”
“To me, he’s just a normal grandpa. He gives us candy and soda when our parents aren’t looking, he always wants to know how we’re doing in school,” she said.
“When I made the high honor roll, he printed it out to show his friends how proud he was of me,” she added. “He calls me during the middle of the school day to ask how my golf game is going, and tells me all about his. But then I have to remind him that I’m in school and I’ll have to call him back later.”
LIVE UPDATES: REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
Kai, 17, also reflected on the attempted assassination of her grandfather last Saturday at a rally in Pennsylvania, saying she was “shocked” and found it to be “heartbreaking.”
“On Saturday, I was shocked when I heard that he had been shot, and I just wanted to know if he was OK. It was heartbreaking that someone would do that to another person,” she said.
Kai – who was welcomed to the stage by her father, Donald Trump Jr. – noted that “a lot of people have put my grandfather through hell,” but that “he’s still standing.”
“Grandpa, you are such an inspiration and I love you,” she said. “The media makes my grandpa seem like a different person, but I know him for who he is. He’s very caring and loving. He truly wants the best for this country, and he will fight every single day to make America great again.”
WHO IS KAI TRUMP? DONALD TRUMP’S ELDEST GRANDCHILD WHO SPOKE AT 2024 RNC
“Even when he’s going through all these court cases, he always asks me how I’m doing. He always encourages me to push myself to be the most successful person I can be. Obviously, he sets the bar pretty high, but who knows, maybe one day I’ll catch him,” she added.
Kai, the daughter of Don Jr. and Vanessa Trump, now divorced, was recently a regaled guest of Dana White’s at the UFC 303 fight, which she attended opposite her dad. The Florida teen posed for photographs with White, the president of the UFC, former NFL superstar Aaron Rodgers and country music star Jelly Roll, among other A-listers.
Kai, born May 12, 2007, is an enthusiastic golfer. She is active on social media and regularly posts about her golf skills.
HOUSE GOP LEADERS DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY ON TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: ‘SO MANY QUESTIONS’
Kai also reflected during her speech on instances when she played golf with her grandfather, times when she had to remind him that she’s a “Trump, too.”
“When we play golf together, if I’m not his team, he’ll try to get inside of my head. And he’s always surprised that I don’t let him get to me. But I have to remind him I’m a Trump, too,” she said.
Last year, the Florida native started a YouTube channel. She kickstarted the outreach social media page with a video titled, “Get to know Kai Trump!”
“It should overall be a fun channel,” Kai said in the clip.
As Kai scampers around a golf course, her friend asks questions, and she gives viewers insight into some of her favorite things, which includes pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks, proscuitto meat and ricotta cheese, and playing pickleball and tennis.
In March, Kai won the ladies’ club championship at the private Trump Golf Club in West Palm Beach. She has posted photographs and clips in the past playing with golf professional and PGA player Bryson DeChambeau.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Mixed into her fitness reels, Kai reminds social media users that she is an undoubted supporter of her grandpa.