FBI Director Christopher Wray testified Wednesday at a hearing on the investigation into the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, revealing that the shooter researched the assassination of John F. Kennedy prior to the attack and had explosive devices in his vehicle.
Members of the House panel grilled Mr. Wray about the agency’s probe into the shooting at former President Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. His testimony was held after Secret Service Kimberly Cheatle testified on Capitol Hill. She resigned shortly after.
On July 6, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks became focused on former President Trump and his rally in Butler. He registered that day for the event and searched on Google “how far away was Oswald from Kennedy,” referring to Lee Harvey Oswald and the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963. The FBI recovered his laptop and is continuing to analyze it, Mr. Wray said.
The FBI chief also testified that the agency did not have any information about the shooter ahead of the shooting.
The shooter visited the site a week before the attack, according to Mr. Wray.
“We believe that the first time he traveled to the grounds was a week before. He spent roughly 20 minutes there. Then he went to the grounds again on the morning of the event, it appears, for about 70 minutes … and then he came back in the afternoon, for good,” he testified.
The FBI recovered eight shell casings on the roof where the shooter was stationed. Mr. Wray also revealed for the first time details about the AR-15-style weapon used in the shooting.
“The weapon had a collapsible stock which could explain why it may have been less easy for people to observe,” he stated.
He also testified that the shooter flew a drone “around the area” of the venue about two hours prior to the campaign rally. The drone scanned the area for about 11 minutes. The FBI believes that he watched video streamed from the drone to scout the scene. That drone was found in his vehicle and continues to be examined and analyzed by the FBI lab, Mr. Wray said.
Additionally, two “relatively crude” explosive devices were found in his vehicle and another one in his residence. The devices “could be detonated remotely,” according to the FBI director. The agency found the transmitter to those devices on the shooter himself but the receivers on the bombs in his vehicle were turned off.
Mr. Wray also testified that investigators recovered the shooter’s cell phone, which presented a “significant technical challenge” because the shooter used encrypted messaging apps to communicate.
He also noted that the agency has possession of a five-foot ladder that the shooter purchased. Mr. Wray did not release details where the ladder was found but confirmed it was not at the scene or in his car.
Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) asked Mr. Wray why former President Trump was not kept off stage. Mr. Wray then emphasized that the FBI’s investigation is focused on the shooter, the motives behind his attack, and whether he had any co-conspirators or accomplices. He referred any other questions beyond that to the Secret Service and its probe.
“There are a lot of unanswered questions about security failures that day,” Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) stated in his opening remarks.
In addition to the FBI’s criminal probe, several inquiries have been launched into the attempted assassination of the 45th president. The Secret Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security’s internal watchdog are examining the security failures that allowed the shooting to happen. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have announced they will create a bipartisan task force to probe the shooting. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has also appointed an independent panel to examine the attack.
“This is not just an attack on a man, but an attack on our democracy,” Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) stated.
Former President Trump and two others were wounded in the shooting while another attendee was killed.
Mr. Wray told lawmakers the FBI will “continue to work tirelessly” to investigate the attempted assassination and pledged to leave “no stone unturned,” adding that Americans are currently living in an “elevated threat environment.”
The FBI director, who has served in the role since 2017, highlighted the current political climate, warning of potential threats by Iran on high-profile American figures.
“We have been, for quite some time, have been calling out the efforts by the Iranian government to attempt to retaliate for the killing of [Quassem] Solemani by going after current or former prominent US officials,” he warned.