Trump to Meet with FBI Over Assassination Attempt at Pennsylvania Rally

The FBI, while not primarily responsible for investigating potential lapses in Trump's security, is constructing a timeline of events.

Former President Donald Trump has agreed to sit for an interview with the FBI, as the bureau investigates the attempted assassination by 20-year-old Thomas Crooks during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

“They’re coming in on Thursday to see me,” Trump confirmed during a Fox News interview aired on Monday.

The incident occurred on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania.

According to FBI Special Agent Kevin Rojek, law enforcement noticed Crooks over an hour before the shooting and took a photograph, which was shared among officers at the event.

“The shooter was identified by law enforcement as a suspicious person,” Rojek stated during a briefing on the investigation.

Rojek detailed that a local officer’s photo of Crooks was circulated among law enforcement at the rally.

About 30 minutes later, SWAT team members observed Crooks using a rangefinder and browsing news websites. Crooks was seen carrying a backpack around 5:56 p.m., and by 6:08 p.m., he was caught on a police dashboard camera on a roof from where he eventually fired shots.

The FBI, while not primarily responsible for investigating potential lapses in Trump’s security, is constructing a timeline of events.

The bureau has not yet determined a motive for Crooks, who was killed by a Secret Service agent after he opened fire.

However, FBI officials noted that Crooks had conducted online searches related to prior mass shootings, improvised explosive devices, and the attempted assassination of the Slovakian prime minister in May.

Trump, despite his past criticism of the FBI, has agreed to a standard victim’s interview to provide his perspective.

Rojek mentioned that Trump was struck by a bullet, though it was unclear whether it was whole or fragmented.

Crooks, described as a loner with a limited social circle, primarily comprising immediate family, had made 25 firearm-related purchases and bought six chemical precursors for explosive devices using encrypted applications.

His parents, unaware of any suspicious activities, have been cooperating with the investigation.