As investigators remain perplexed by the motive behind the attempt on former President Donald Trump's life, the shooter's activities in the 24 hours preceding the attack have come into focus — including a visit to a shooting range. On Friday, Thomas Matthew Crooks went to the Clairton Sportsmen's Club and practiced shooting, a law enforcement official told CNN.
The Clairton Sportsmen's Club is located about 25 minutes by car from Crooks' home in Bethel Park where he lived with his parents, according to the outlet. Law enforcement sources also told the outlet that Crooks' father, Matthew Crooks, was also a member of the club, and they often enjoyed shooting there together.
The Final Hours Before the Assassination Attempt
CNN reported that the club's rifle range stretches about 200 yards — a greater distance than the gap between Crooks and Trump when Crooks fired from a rooftop the next day. "The Club fully admonishes the senseless act of violence that occurred," a lawyer for the organization, Rob Bootay, told the outlet.
Bootay refused to "provide any further comments regarding this matter due to ongoing law enforcement investigations," the New York Post reported.
On Saturday morning, Crooks purchased 50 rounds of ammunition at Allegheny Arms and Gun Works in Bethel Park.
The store promotes itself as a "one-stop shop for all your firearm, ammo, and accessory needs."
"As a responsible member of our community it is our prerogative to cooperate with law enforcement in every way," a gunsmith at the store, Josh Rowe. said in a statement to The NY Post.
Following his visit to the gun shop, Crooks went to Home Depot and bought a five-foot ladder. A receipt for the ladder was later found in his pocket.
"We condemn the violence against former President Trump, and our thoughts are with him, the other victims of Saturday's horrific events, and their families," a spokesperson for the retailer said.
Motive Still Unclear
As of Tuesday, it was not immediately known if Crooks used the newly bought ammunition or the ladder in his attack on the Trump rally — although he did use a ladder to climb onto the roof of the factory to survey the crowd.
Crooks drove his Hyundai Sonata an hour north to the rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds, where thousands of Trump supporters had gathered to hear the former president speak before the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin.
Police spotted him at least twice 26 minutes before the shooting, but he managed to climb onto the roof of a nearby manufacturing plant without any challenge.
At 6:11 p.m., Crooks fired several shots from approximately 130 yards away from Trump — grazing the former president, killing one rallygoer, and injuring two others — before being shot and killed by the Secret Service.
He used an AR-style rifle registered to his father. The firearm, along with over 20 other guns registered to Matthew Crooks, was legally purchased.
Investigators found an explosive device in Crooks' car and a transmitter on his person, indicating that he might have planned a distraction during the shooting.
Despite these findings, investigators remain baffled about what might have motivated Crooks — who a former school counselor described as "quiet" and not especially political — to target Trump.
The phone of the Bethel Park High School graduate provided little evidence, and even his laptop revealed typical online activities, such as an interest in gaming and coding, according to CNN.
