Trump shooter did online search for JFK assassination: FBI director

WASHINGTON: WASHINGTON, July 24 (Reuters) - The 20-year-old gunman who tried to kill Donald Trump did an online search of the John F. Kennedy assassination around the time he began to focus attention on the Republican presidential candidate, FBI Director Christopher Wray said on Wednesday.

Wray told the U.S. House Judiciary Committee that suspect Thomas Crooks visited the Trump rally site in Butler, Pennsylvania, twice before he clambered onto the roof of a nearby building on July 13 and fired off at least eight rounds, wounding Trump in the ear, killing one rally-goer and injuring two others.

“Analysis of a laptop that the investigation ties to the shooter reveals that on July 6, he did a Google search for -quote - ‘how far away was Oswald from Kennedy,’” Wray said.

He was referring to Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated former President Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, on Nov. 22, 1963.

“That’s a search that’s obviously significant in terms of his state of mind,” Wray said.

“That is the same day that it appears that he registered for the Butler rally,” he added, saying Crooks became “very focused on President Trump and his rally” at that point after showing interest in public figures more generally.

About two hours before the shooting, Crooks flew a drone over the area about 200 yards (180 meters) from the stage where Trump spoke to the crowd, and live-streamed footage for about 11 minutes.

Law enforcement officers did not spot Crooks on the roof with his AR-15-style rifle until “seconds” before he opened fire, said Wray, noting that the timeline could change as the investigators’ understanding of facts evolves.

“It’s all happening in seconds,” Wray said. He added that the rifle had a collapsible stock, “which could explain why it might have been less easy for people to observe.”

Crude explosive devices later recovered from Crooks’ car and home were designed to be detonated remotely. Crooks had a transmitter with him, Wray added. But he said the FBI believes the suspect would not have been successful had he tried to detonate the devices. The motive for the shooting remains unclear. Wray said.