THE shooter who tried to assassinate Donald Trump had explosive devices in his car, investigating officials have found.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was “neutralized” by Secret Service snipers shortly after opening fire at the former president during a campaign event on Saturday.
Donald Trump was seen dripping in blood after surviving a dangerous assassination attempt
The former president took cover after the shots as the Secret Service drew their weapons
Shooter Thomas Matthews Crooks has now been pictured at his high school graduation in 2022
The shooter – pictured on a roof nearby – was killed by the Secret Service on Saturday night
The car driven by the shooter was found parked near Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Cops said they received many reports of suspicious packages around the parked car.
Shooter Crooks, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, is said to have positioned himself on the roof of a manufacturing plant roughly 200 feet outside the cordoned-off rally zone.
He was later shot dead by snipers who returned the gunfire from the roof of another building nearby.
The FBI said Crooks did not have any ID on him at the time, with officials identifying him through his DNA.
Pictures showed armed cops standing over his body on the roof, with an AR-15 reportedly recovered nearby.
Matthew Crooks, the shooter’s father, told CNN last night he was trying to figure out “what the hell is going on”.
He added he would wait until he “speaks to law enforcement” before commenting about his son.
Investigators reportedly believe that the weapon recovered appeared to have been purchased recently.
Law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that investigators believe the gun was purchased by Crooks’s father at least six months ago.
Shocking video captured the moment he fired some five gunshots at the former president, wounding him, killing someone in the audience, and seriously injuring two others.
The shocking clip shows Trump grabbing his ear in pain before jumping behind a podium to take cover as the gunman opened fire.
He was seen with blood covering his face as he was swarmed by the Secret Service and rushed off stage in Pennsylvania.
More shots rang out as members of the Secret Service swarmed Trump to shield him from any more bullets.
Trump was then lifted back to his feet and was seen with blood pouring down his face, but defiantly lifted a fist to show the crowd that he was OK.
A shooter opened fire at a Donald Trump rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday evening, killing one, critically injuring two others, and wounding the former President
Dramatic footage showed the moment Trump dived behind his podium as Secret Service agents closed in
The FBI confirmed it was an assassination attempt, but said there was no prior threat
Trump broke his silence with a statement describing the shooting – after a bullet struck his ear and left blood pouring down the side of his face
A hot microphone captured the moment Secret Service agents screamed “Get down!”
The shooter – identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks – was shot dead by Secret Service agents at the scene
A witness claims he warned police about a man with a rifle on a nearby roof minutes before the attack
President Joe Biden dubbed the shooting “sick,” and has suspended campaigning for the next two days
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