Donald Trump’s would-be assassin had researched the Princess of Wales online prior to his attempt to kill the former president, according to a report. Thomas Matthew Crooks had downloaded photos of the future queen, FBI analysis of his two phones and laptop show.
Police found his apparent obsession with the British royal family after searching Crooks home and seizing his electronic devices following his attack in Pennsylvania last Saturday. National Public Radio reported that the 20-year-old gunman had images of the Princess of Wales on his phone, a detail that sources close to the investigation have confirmed to DailyMail.com. Police are yet to share more details on his search history.
Crooks’ Obsession About Kate
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Crooks searched for information about the 42-year-old royal as well as Donald Trump, President Joe Biden, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and US Attorney General Merrick Garland.
It is still unclear why Crooks was researching Kate, who was the only non-American among those found in his internet search history.
The Princess of Wales has made only a few public appearances this year as she undergoes treatment for cancer. There is no evidence suggesting that Crooks intended to travel to the UK.
Kate’s last public appearance was on July 14, the day after Trump was shot, where she received a standing ovation upon entering the Royal Box at Wimbledon.
She announced her cancer diagnosis in March and has been receiving preventative chemotherapy since then. Crooks’s interest in her was discovered during an FBI search of his two cell phones and laptop.
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On his devices, FBI also found searches for the dates of Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he eventually attempted his assassination.
Investigators also found searches for the dates of the Democratic National Convention, as they revealed in a private briefing with lawmakers. Additionally, photos of Biden and Trump were found among Crooks’ materials.
Motive Still Unclear
FBI officials said that Crooks’ search history showed a strong interest in famous people during a briefing.
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Following the assassination attempt on Trump, King Charles sent a letter to the former president through the British Embassy in Washington, DC.
Charles himself survived an assassination attempt in 1994. While the then-Prince of Wales was giving a speech at an Australia Day ceremony in Sydney, a gunman fired two shots at him, later revealed to be a starting pistol loaded with blanks.
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The US Secret Service faced serious questions about how a gunman was able to get close enough to shoot the former president.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has been called to testify before a committee of the US House of Representatives on July 22. She is under pressure to resign or be dismissed from her position.
The shooting on Saturday, which nearly killed the former president, resulted in the death of retired fire chief Corey Comperatore, 50, a father of two, and left two other attendees critically injured.
