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FBI Continues to Investigate Motives Behind Attempted Assassination of Trump

SECURITY FAILURES AND ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS HIGHLIGHTED

Newsroom EFE

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The FBI is still attempting to clarify why a man tried to assassinate Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a rally on Saturday, though they have accessed the shooter’s phone and interviewed up to a hundred witnesses. Over 48 hours after the incident, questions persist about what motivated the assassination attempt and how a 20-year-old was able to climb onto a roof and fire up to eight shots before being taken down by Secret Service agents.

In statements to CNN, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas admitted on Monday that there was a “failure” in security around Trump, who served as president from 2017 to 2021 and was officially declared the Republican candidate for the November elections on Monday. “When I say something like this cannot happen, we are talking about a failure,” said Mayorkas, who oversees the Secret Service, responsible for protecting U.S. politicians.

Rifle Purchased Eleven Years Ago

It is known that the attacker, Thomas Crooks, 20, acted alone and used a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle legally purchased by his father in 2013, eleven years ago, according to a source familiar with the investigation who spoke to The Washington Post on Monday. Regarding political affiliations, it is only known that Crooks was registered as a Republican voter. However, electoral records show that someone with his name and address made a $15 donation to the Progressive Participation Project, a Democratic organization, in 2021.

FBI Continues to Investigate Motives Behind Attempted Assassination of Trump

In a statement on Monday, the FBI announced that it had accessed Crooks’ phone, which will now allow agents to review his communications in the moments leading up to the attack. They are also analyzing other electronic devices belonging to the accused. Additionally, FBI agents are currently analyzing bomb-making materials found in the attacker’s vehicle and residence at their Quantico, Virginia offices.

About 100 Interviews Conducted

So far, the FBI has conducted nearly 100 interviews with law enforcement personnel present at the rally where Trump was shot, as well as attendees and other witnesses, according to a statement released on Monday. The assassination attempt on Trump, the first such incident since Ronald Reagan was targeted in 1981, has raised significant questions about potential security protocol failures by the Secret Service and prompted the U.S. government to announce an independent investigation.

FBI Continues to Investigate Motives Behind Attempted Assassination of Trump

NBC revealed on Monday that the U.S. Secret Service had identified the rooftop from which the shooter climbed as a potential security risk days before the attack. This location was only 135 meters from where Trump was to speak at the rally but outside the event’s security perimeter. The Secret Service claimed that security of the building from which the shots were fired was the responsibility of local authorities, though the county prosecutor has disputed this version.

Security Measures for Candidates

As the investigation progresses and amid concerns about similar incidents, U.S. President Joe Biden ordered on Monday that presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. be provided with a Secret Service detail and that Trump’s security be enhanced. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas explained at a White House press conference that the improvements to Trump’s protection include measures for the Republican National Convention, which began today in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, such as increased fencing around the venue and recognition technology.

Kennedy Jr., who is running as an independent candidate against Trump and Biden in the November elections, said months ago that his request for Secret Service protection had been denied. On Sunday, following the attack on Trump, two lawmakers, Republican Mike Lawler and Democrat Ritchie Torres, announced they would introduce a bill to provide “enhanced Secret Service protection” to Biden, Trump, and RFK Jr. during the campaign for the November elections.