Former President Trump Interviewed by FBI Over 2024 Pennsylvania Rally Shooting: New Details Emerge on Suspect's Planning and Concealment

Butler, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania United States of America
Crooks arrived at venue around 13:50, flew drone for 11 minutes shortly after
Former President Trump interviewed by FBI over Pennsylvania rally shooting
He left venue at approximately 16:00, returned with backpack around 17:30
No clear motive identified for Crooks' actions, FBI examining online activities and firearms-related purchases
Shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks conducted careful planning and concealment before the incident
Former President Trump Interviewed by FBI Over 2024 Pennsylvania Rally Shooting: New Details Emerge on Suspect's Planning and Concealment

Former President Donald Trump agreed to be interviewed by the FBI as part of their ongoing investigation into the shooting incident at his Pennsylvania rally on July 13, 2024. The FBI is seeking Trump's perspective on the event and considers it a standard victim interview procedure.

Thomas Matthew Crooks, identified as the shooter, had reportedly conducted careful planning and made significant efforts to conceal his activities before the shooting. He was spotted by local law enforcement more than 90 minutes before the incident, much earlier than initially thought. According to various sources, Crooks arrived at the venue around 13:50 on the day of the shooting and flew a drone around for 11 minutes shortly after.

Crooks left the venue at approximately 16:00 before returning and being identified as a suspicious person shortly after 17:00. At around 17:30, he was seen using a range finder, just under half an hour before he was spotted near the AGR building with a backpack. He was confronted by a local police officer at around 18:11, about 30 seconds before he fired eight shots in the direction of Trump and the crowd.

Despite extensive investigations, no clear motive has been identified for Crooks' actions. The FBI is currently examining his online activities, which reportedly include searches related to mass-shooting events, explosives, power plants, and other political assassination attempts before the attack.

Crooks primarily used aliases to make firearms-related purchases online. In the first half of 2024, he made six chemical precursor-related purchases under an alias for creating explosive devices. The FBI is currently investigating these purchases and their connection to the shooting incident.

The Secret Service had no contact with local law enforcement regarding Crooks prior to the shooting, and a face-to-face briefing failed to occur. This has raised concerns about security failures during the event.

Trump's interview with the FBI is expected to provide valuable insights into his observations of the incident and potentially shed light on any overlooked details that could help clarify Crooks' motives.


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Confidence

90%

Doubts
  • The exact reason for Trump's interview with the FBI is not explicitly stated in the article

Sources

95%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Trump agrees to be interviewed as part of an investigation into his assassination attempt, FBI says

The Associated Press News Monday, 29 July 2024 14:52
  • Unique Points
    • Thomas Matthew Crooks had searched for information on mass-shooting events, explosives, power plants and other political assassination attempts before the attack.
    • Crooks primarily used aliases to make firearms-related purchases online.
    • In the first half of 2024, Crooks made six chemical precursor-related purchases online for creating explosive devices.
  • Accuracy
    • Thomas Matthew Crooks conducted 'careful planning' and made 'significant efforts' to conceal his activities before the shooting.
    • Crooks was spotted by a local Swat team more than 90 minutes before the shooting, much earlier than previously thought.
    • Investigators believe Crooks arrived at the venue at around 13:50 on the day of the shooting and flew a drone around for 11 minutes shortly after.
    • Crooks left the venue at approximately 16:00 before returning and being identified as a suspicious person shortly after.
    • Around 6:11 p.m. ET, Crooks fired eight shots before being killed
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article contains some instances of appeals to authority and dichotomous depiction, but overall the author's assertions are supported by facts and evidence. No fallacies were found that would significantly impact the credibility or accuracy of the article.
    • ][FBI Director Christopher Wray] told Congress last week that on July 6, the day Crooks registered to attend the Trump rally, he googled: ['How far away was Oswald from Kennedy?'] That's a reference to Lee Harvey Oswald, the shooter who killed President John F. Kennedy from a sniper's perch in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963.[/]
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

99%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

FBI to interview Donald Trump as Butler shooting probe continues

BBC News Site: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68702081, About Us URL: https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/ Tom Geoghegan Monday, 29 July 2024 18:52
  • Unique Points
    • FBI is interviewing Donald Trump as part of the investigation into the shooting at his Pennsylvania rally.
    • Thomas Matthew Crooks conducted 'careful planning' and made 'significant efforts' to conceal his activities before the shooting.
    • He was spotted by a local Swat team more than 90 minutes before the shooting, much earlier than previously thought.
    • Investigators believe Crooks arrived at the venue at around 13:50 on the day of the shooting and flew a drone around for 11 minutes shortly after.
    • He left the venue at approximately 16:00 before returning and being identified as a suspicious person shortly after 17:00.
    • At around 17:30, Crooks was seen using a range finder, just under half an hour before he was seen walking near the AGR building with a backpack.
    • He was confronted by a local police officer at around 18:11, about 30 seconds before he fired eight shots in the direction of Trump and the crowd.
    • Local law enforcement had no contact with the Secret Service regarding Crooks prior to the shooting, and a face-to-face briefing failed to happen.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article contains some instances of inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to authority, but no formal or blatant logical fallacies were found. The authors use phrases like 'assassination attempt,' 'botched security,' and 'security failures' to describe the events at the Trump rally, which may be inflammatory but do not constitute logical fallacies. They also quote FBI Special Agent Kevin Rojek making statements about Crooks' planning and actions, which is an appeal to authority as the agent is a source of expertise in this matter.
    • ][FBI Special Agent Kevin Rojek]: We want to get his perspective on what he observed. That planning - which included six purchases of components for explosive devices - was conducted in a manner that would significantly raise the suspicions of his parents.[/]
    • [House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced 13 members of a bipartisan task force that will investigate the attempt on Trump’s life.][
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

96%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Trump agrees to FBI interview for assassination attempt investigation

Axios News Site: https://www.axios.com/2024/01-30/prior-authorization-gap-insurer-drug-decisions Ivana Saric Monday, 29 July 2024 16:55
  • Unique Points
    • Thomas Matthew Crooks had made more than two dozen purchases of weapons and explosives under aliases.
  • Accuracy
    • Crooks visited a local shooting range the day before the shooting to practice with the gun used in the attack.
    • Two explosive devices were found in Crooks’ car and a third in his home, capable of causing significant damage if detonated.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

99%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Trump agrees to victim interview as FBI searches for shooter's motive

CNBC News Kevin Breuninger Monday, 29 July 2024 15:26
  • Unique Points
    • Former President Donald Trump will participate in an FBI victim interview about his attempted assassination at a campaign rally
    • Thomas Matthew Crooks was described as a ‘loner’ with few social interactions outside of his immediate family
    • Crooks had searched for information on mass-shooting events, explosives, power plants and other political assassination attempts before the attack
  • Accuracy
    • Thomas Matthew Crooks was described as a 'loner' with few social interactions outside of his immediate family.
    • Crooks had searched for information on mass-shooting events, explosives, power plants and other political assassination attempts before the attack.
    • Two explosive devices were recovered from Crooks' car near the site of the Trump rally.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

97%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

FBI to ask for Trump’s ‘perspective’ in shooting probe witness interview

CNN News Site: In-Depth Reporting and Analysis with Some Financial Conflicts and Sensational Language Hannah Rabinowitz, Monday, 29 July 2024 14:46
  • Unique Points
    • Donald Trump agreed to be interviewed by the FBI regarding the attempted assassination investigation.
    • Thomas Matthew Crooks had a growing interest in shooting and made searches related to power plants, mass shooting events, information on improvised explosive devices and the attempted assassination of the Slovakian Prime Minister earlier this year.
  • Accuracy
    • Crooks primarily used aliases to make firearms-related purchases online.
    • In the first half of 2024, Crooks made six chemical precursor-related purchases online for creating explosive devices.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication