- The suspected gunman who tried to assassinate President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania used an “AR-style” rifle, the FBI said.
- Police identified the shooter as a 20-year-old man from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.
- The FBI confirmed that the weapon used by Crooks was purchased legally.
The FBI believes the gunman who tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday used a legally purchased AR-style rifle.
The FBI identified the shooter early Sunday morning as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek, head of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, said at a press conference Sunday afternoon that the FBI recovered a “legally purchased AR-Style 556 rifle.”
“We found a firearm at the scene, right next to the shooter,” Rojek said.
The FBI said they believe Crooks’ father legally purchased the weapon used in the shooting.
The FBI’s main focus is on determining Crooks’ motive and actions leading up to the shooting.
Rojek told reporters that authorities had found no evidence that Crooks had mental health issues.
“At this time, we have not identified a belief system associated with the suspect, but I want to assure everyone that this investigation is still in its early stages,” Rojek told reporters. “We are working diligently to understand the sequence of events associated with the suspect and his actions in the hours, days and weeks prior to the shooting.”
