FBI investigates lone gunman in Trump rally shooting as potential domestic terrorism

The FBI, investigating the shooting incident targeting US ex-President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on July 13, indicates that the gunman, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, appears to have acted alone.

Robert Wells, the executive assistant director of the FBI’s National Security Branch, stated, “At this point in the investigation, it appears that he was a lone actor, but we still have more investigation to go.” The FBI is treating the incident both as an assassination attempt and a potential act of domestic terrorism, Caliber.Az reports citing the foreign media.

Wells emphasized that the FBI’s counterterrorism division and criminal divisions are collaborating to ascertain the motive behind the attack. The investigation is currently led by the FBI, focusing on the circumstances surrounding the shooting aimed at Trump during the election rally.

During the rally, Trump sustained a gunshot that grazed the upper part of his right ear. He is reported to be safe and has resumed his schedule, including traveling to Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, where he is expected to be formally nominated as the party’s presidential nominee against incumbent Joe Biden.

FBI Director Christopher Wray noted that while the shooter may have died, the investigation remains active and ongoing. He remarked, “What we witnessed was nothing short of an attack on democracy and our democratic process,” during a press conference in Washington DC.

As of now, the FBI has not uncovered any evidence of mental health issues, threatening statements, or other motives related to the shooter, though it cautioned that the investigation is still in its early stages.

The FBI disclosed that the shooter utilized an AR-style rifle chambered in 5.56mm, a common caliber for such firearms.

Trump, 78, was holding a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania - a key state in the November 5 election - when shots rang out, hitting his right ear and leaving his face streaked with blood. His campaign said he was doing well.

"That reality is just setting in," Trump told the Washington Examiner on July 14. "I rarely look away from the crowd. Had I not done that in that moment, well, we would not be talking today, would we?"

One person in the crowd was killed and two others wounded before Secret Service agents fatally shot the suspect.

Trump is due to accept his party's formal nomination at the Republican National Convention with a speech on July 18. He pumped his fist in the air several times as he descended the stairs from his plane after arriving in Milwaukee.

"This is a chance to bring the whole country, even the whole world, together. The speech will be a lot different, a lot different than it would've been two days ago," Trump told the Washington Examiner.