Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania gun club where would-be Trump assassin was member visited by FBI

Published

2 hours ago

July 16, 2024

Pennsylvania gun club where would-be Trump assassin was member visited by FBI

Neighbor of Thomas Crooks speaks out

Kelly Little of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania tells Fox News Digital she rarely encountered the Trump shooting suspect’s family despite living across the street.

Clairton, Pa. – The Pennsylvania gun club where would-be Trump assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks practiced his aim was open Monday after visits from the FBI amid a probe into the deadly security breach that let an armed madman within 130 yards of the former president.

It was not immediately clear whether investigators found anything of evidentiary value at the range, and members condemned the suspect and his actions as something their community is “not about.”

A lawyer for the Clairton Sportmen’s Club previously distanced the members from Crooks.

FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENT WARNS AGENCY ‘STRETCHED THIN’ WITH NEW RESPONSIBILITIES, LACK OF MANPOWER

A view of the Clairton Sportsmens Club, where Thomas Matthew Crooks, named by the FBI as the “subject involved” in the attempted assassination of former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, was a member, in Clairton, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 15, 2024. (Carlos Osorio/Reuters)

“Obviously, the Club fully admonishes the senseless act of violence that occurred [Saturday],” attorney Rob Bootay said in a statement. “The Club also offers its sincerest condolences to the Comperatore family and extends prayers to all of those injured including the former President.”

The club is one of several in the area where members take part in sports shooting events and promote firearms safety.

The FBI’s visit comes as the bureau looks to identify a motive and is scrutinizing newly obtained data from the suspect’s phone.

PENNSYLVANIA TRUMP RALLY SHOOTING SUSPECT PICTURED AFTER DEADLY ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

View of signage outside of the gun club which the would-be Trump assassin was a member

A view of the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, where Thomas Matthew Crooks, named by the FBI as the “subject involved” in the attempted assassination of former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, was a member, in Clairton, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 15, 2024. (Carlos Osorio/Reuters)

Law enforcement sources with knowledge of the situation told Fox News that Crooks fired a DPMS AR-15 5.56 at Trump and the bystanders. His dad bought the weapon in 2013.

It’s at the FBI’s forensics lab in Quantico, Virginia, along with his phone, laptop and at least one improvised explosive device from his car, according to the sources.

HERO TRUMP RALLY VICTIM COREY COMPERATORE DIED SHIELDING FAMILY AND ‘WOULD’VE DONE IT AGAIN,’ FRIEND SAYS

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surround by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The development comes as investigators broaden their search for a motive and potential helpers of the suspect.

“FBI technical specialists successfully gained access to Thomas Matthew Crooks’ phone, and they continue to analyze his electronic devices,” the FBI said in a statement Monday afternoon.

Searches of the suspect’s house and vehicle wrapped up Sunday night.

PENNSYLVANIA TRUMP RALLY ATTENDEE SPEAKS ON ‘EXTREMELY LAX’ SECURITY MEASURES AFTER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

Map shows layout of Trump rally and surrounding area, plus gunman's position

This graphic shows a bird’s eye view of the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, as well as the alleged would-be assassin’s vantage point. (Fox News)

The bureau also said the FBI had interviewed nearly 100 witnesses, including members of law enforcement.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to submit tips at http://tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI.

TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT BEING INVESTIGATED BY FBI AS POTENTIAL DOMESTIC TERROR

Bethel Park School District can confirm that the alleged shooter in the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt on former President Donald J. Trump is a graduate of Bethel Park High School. Thomas Matthew Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School with the Class of 2022. (Bethel Park School District)

Crooks had no prior criminal record and no documented history of mental illness, authorities said.

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Dave Katz, a former federal forearms instructor and the CEO of Global Security Group, said if anyone had seen red flags before the attack it would have been people he spent the most time with – including friends, family, co-workers and classmates.

“If the shooter can manage an air of normalcy going to and from the range, where’s the red flag?” he told Fox News Digital. “Look at the Aurora [Colorado] theater gunman. He went to a range three days before, and the owner threw him out — because he wasn’t behaving normal.”

Fox News’ CB Cotton, David Spunt and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.

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Pennsylvania

After Trump shooting, gun violence prevention group says Pennsylvania gun laws rank

Published

9 hours ago

July 15, 2024

Press Room

After Trump shooting, gun violence prevention group says Pennsylvania gun laws rank

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The FBI told CBS News the AR-style rifle used by the shooter in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump was legally purchased by and registered to the shooter’s father.

Gun legislation is both complex and controversial and the laws change from state to state. Assault rifles, like the one used to shoot Trump, are banned in nine states, including New Jersey and Delaware.

“This is just a fact here in Pennsylvania, and in many states, those rifles are legal to buy,” Josh Fleitman, the campaign director with CeaseFire PA, said. “They were federally banned for 10 years, and once that ban was allowed to expire, we saw the rate of mass shootings triple.”

CeaseFire PA is a nonprofit, non-partisan gun violence prevention organization. The group has long been calling for the state to close a background check loophole for long guns including automatic rifles. Currently, Pennsylvania requires background checks for all handgun sales. It also requires background checks for long guns like assault rifles purchased from a firearm dealer but not those purchased from a private seller.

“Maybe it’s your next-door neighbor, maybe it’s the stranger in the parking lot outside of a gun show — if you’re buying an AR-15 or long gun from them, there’s no background check required,” Fleitman said.

AR-style rifles have been the focus of debate for the last two decades because it’s a weapon commonly used by mass shooters. The sheer velocity at which the bullet exits the gun is much more catastrophic to the human body compared to a handgun.

The Giffords Law Center tracks the correlation between gun laws and gun violence across the United States and gives states a grade on their prevention efforts. The group gives New Jersey an A, Delaware a B+ and Pennsylvania a B, recommending Pennsylvania close the background check loophole, pass a red flag law that prevents a person who might be dangerous or in crisis from having a gun, and enact a safe storage law.

Liz Crawford

Liz Crawford, a Jersey native, is thrilled to join CBS News Philadelphia, returning to her roots to share community stories and hold the powerful accountable. Liz brings a passion for storytelling and a deep connection to the communities she serves.

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Pennsylvania

Residents in Pennsylvania react to Trump rally gunman being from Bethel | CNN

Published

17 hours ago

July 15, 2024

Press Room

Residents in Pennsylvania react to Trump rally gunman being from Bethel | CNN

Residents in Pennsylvania react to Trump rally gunman being from Bethel Park

CNN reporter Jim Acosta speaks to Washington Post reporter Emily Davies about the community’s response to the news that 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks was from there.

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