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Trump shooter Thomas Crooks posted an ominous comment that appeared to foreshadow his attack on the former president on the gaming platform Steam – which features an assassination game.
Crooks, 20, wrote in a post earlier this month, “July 13 will be my premiere, watch as it unfolds.”
The chilling details were disclosed late Wednesday to senators in an all-member briefing.
Investigators also said they discovered internet searches on his laptop for Trump, President Biden, the Democratic National Convention and the July 13 Trump rally.
TRUMP SHOOTER’S DISCORD PRESENCE SUGGEST THOMAS CROOKS’ PREFERENCE FOR ANONYMITY, EXPERTS SAY
Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks used gaming platform Steam, which featured the presidential assassination game Mr. President. There is no evidence he played the game. (AFP handout/Steam)
The Steam platform offers more than 100,000 games, including the assassination game Mr. President!, but there is no evidence Crooks played it.
The game’s protagonist, Dick “Rock-Hard” Johnson – “the best bodyguard money can buy” – is sworn to protect “the most hated presidential candidate of all time Ronald Rump,” the game’s description reads.
“It was the supposed fame of doing something outrageous and infamous. He was trying to make himself look and feel bigger than how he viewed his life as insignificant,”
“Liberal media has rigged the election and tarnished his glowing public image, now they are trying to end his life. You need to leap, flip, fling, role and many other verbs to get in between Rump and certain death,” the summary continues.
In the game, Johnson has to defend against more than 50 “challenging” assassination attempts as he shadows Rump around the world.
TRUMP SHOOTER MADE HOME DEPOT VISIT PRIOR TO ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: REPORT
The objective of the game Mr. President! is for the player, in the character of a bodyguard, to save President Ronald Rump from dozens of assassination attempts. (Steam)
Retired FBI agent and behavior analyst expert Jim Clemente told Fox News Digital that politics didn’t motivate Crooks.
“It was the supposed fame of doing something outrageous and infamous,” the expert said. “He was trying to make himself look and feel bigger than how he viewed his life as insignificant.”
FBI investigators appear to have come to a similar conclusion. In Wednesday’s Senate briefing, it was disclosed that the FBI found no evidence of a particular ideology and no one interviewed reported Crooks discussing politics.
He had two cellphones – a primary phone recovered from the scene and a secondary one retrieved from his home. The primary device had only 27 contacts and the FBI is in the process of interviewing each of them.
SECURITY EXPERT RIPS SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR KIMBERLY CHEATLE’S ‘SLOPED ROOF’ EXCUSE
Former President Trump is surrounded by Secret Service agents after he was shot at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Immediately after Crooks opened fire Saturday at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, Steam users began noting the Mr. President! game’s sudden real world parallels in a forum.
“Too real for my liking,” wrote one gamer. “Predicted events, huge,” wrote another.
“Lol, ok, it actually happened,” yet another chimed in. One player expressed surprise that the game hadn’t been removed from the platform five days after the attempted assassination.
A spokesperson for Valve, Steam’s parent company, didn’t immediately return a request for comment.
LIVE UPDATES: SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR REFUSES TO STEP DOWN AS FBI INVESTIGATES TRUMP RALLY SHOOTER
Users in a discussion board commented on how the game Mr. President! had mimicked real life with the assassination attempt on former President Trump. (Steam)
Crooks had a very limited online footprint, but had an account on the encrypted social media platform Discord and on Steam, according to authorities.
In Saturday’s attack, Crooks grazed the former president’s ear, killed volunteer fire chief Corey Comperatore and seriously wounded two other bystanders before snipers took him out.
The Secret Service was warned of a suspicious person at the rally 19 minutes before Crooks opened fire. A chorus of critics are calling for the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.
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Boston Celtics
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s trade rumors seem to evolve weekly, but two teams have been linked to the former NBA champion and league MVP more than any others: the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.
Since trade rumors initially picked up early in the offseason, it’s believed that Antetokounmpo’s preferred trade destination is a title contender in the Eastern Conference. Outside of the obvious Knicks, who are up 2-0 in the NBA Finals, there are a handful of teams that fit that bill: Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Orlando could be considered in that tier of Eastern Conference teams.
However, most teams that have the assets to trade for Antetokounmpo would need to gut the better parts of their lineup in order to make a legal trade happen, and that would make them less likely to be contenders.
That’s the advantage Boston seemingly possesses over just about every other team Antetokounmpo would be willing to play for: its roster would not be depleted in the process of acquiring the ‘Greek Freak’.
Speaking on the Dan Patrick Show, The Athletic’s Sam Amick said the rumors of Antetokounmpo to the Celtics have some serious traction, at least on Antetokounmpo’s end.
“Miami is the loudest noise, you continue to hear that … yes, it appears everybody you talk to says Miami at the deadline had a deal that was close,” Amick said. “So the noise is tied to Miami, but there’s also some understanding that Giannis has questions about what that Miami roster would look like on the other side of the deal.
“I think the Celtics are a pretty intriguing option in terms of being competitive,” Amick added. “This is something we’ve heard from Giannis’s side that the intrigue is real. The respect for Joe Mazzulla, the way that he might see that roster. Do I think it changes things? I don’t know yet. But I think it’s worth watching.”
The seemingly obvious piece for Boston to send back, whether to the Bucks or a third involved team, is Jaylen Brown. Brown has a similar contract to Antetokounmpo’s, and is a quality enough player that he could be the only player the Celtics trade away in the deal, giving them plenty of runway to compete for a championship in the aftermath.
So, from a salary cap-balancing perspective, the trade could be done easily. But Boston will have other factors to consider. Does the fit with Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum together make sense and will it lead to a better title shot? And, even if Brad Stevens thinks it is, does it make sense to trade away your longest tenured player who has already proven he can win a championship alongside Tatum.
Brown’s name has been dangled in a few different rumored trade scenarios over the last few offseasons, but no other occasion has had this much traction behind it.
And for the Bucks, trading Antetokounmpo appears to be a near-certainty at this juncture.
“It seems very likely … it’s not often you have an owner publicly framing the timeline, and that’s what Jimmy Haslem did. We just saw Jimmy Haslem do a blockbuster trade with Myles Garrett in the NFL, showing he’s certainly ready to pull that trigger if he needs to. I do expect it to happen.”
So the Heat and Celtics, who have built quite a fierce rivalry in the 21st century, and especially with their recent playoff clashes, will be pitted against each other once more. This time, Antetokounmpo is up for grabs.
Stevens entered the offseason saying he’d do everything in his power to make Boston a more competitive team and bring them another championship. He also said he’d take a dunk over a 3-pointer on every possession if he could. If he lands Antetokounmpo, he just might get both his wishes.
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PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY
From warm maple and mossy green finishes on its cabinetry to the brass plumbing fixtures on the sink, the kitchen of this Treesdale home in Adams Township is all about natural warmth and soft color.
It’s a space that architect Robert Gaskill of Gaskill Architecture, who spearheaded the renovation project, describes as timeless and collected.
“The classic cabinetry, use of natural stone, brass hardware and rich, warm maple wood tone has been relevant for decades and will continue to age beautifully,” Gaskill says. “Rather than leaning into trendy design elements, this kitchen design focuses on authenticity. The layered materials give this kitchen timeless character, which makes it feel as if it evolved over time rather than being tied to a specific moment.”
PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY
The kitchen’s ageless design led to it being named Best Renovated Kitchen in Pittsburgh Magazine’s Best of Design contest.
“I think the kitchen feels really cozy; it’s going to be a great place for people to gather,” says judge Katie Savakis, a project designer at Vocon’s Cleveland office. “This kitchen feels very Ralph Lauren, but in the best way.”
Judge Crystal Knapik, an architect and senior associate at CannonDesign in St. Louis, also praised the contrast in the materials.
“I like how they choose that mossy green to be the main character of the kitchen,” she says. “They balanced the dark tones with the bright white ceiling and the white marble on the island.”
Art Rectenwald purchased the home in 2022 and shares it with his wife, Irinia, and his daughter, Annabelle. (“Plus two dogs, two cats, ten chickens and five horses,” he adds.)
The kitchen renovation originally wasn’t part of an overall home addition, but as the project evolved, it became clear the existing builder-grade space wasn’t going to cut it. Rectenwald says that the previous kitchen was “bland and low quality,” but calls the updated space “cozy, beautiful and efficient.”
PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY
Irina Rectenwald is an architect specializing in environmental design, and her husband says her vision and research provided the primary inspiration for the space. Gaskill seconds this, adding that the selections were “heavily guided by the homeowners’ aesthetic preferences and style.”
The cabinetry pairs a warm maple finish on the range wall and island with a mossy green painted finish on the side elevations. The refrigerator is fully integrated within tall maple cabinetry, allowing it to blend seamlessly into the design. Two tiled towers also frame the range wall, introducing texture while creating niches for displaying personal objects.
“The tiled corner niches are my favorite,” Rectenwald says. “Our corners now display sculptures and artwork versus blenders and coffee makers.”
The homeowners add it feels good to know that their vision, and the hard work that went into bringing the space to life, is appreciated.
“The finished product is everything and more of what we hoped for,” Rectenwald says. “Every detail turned out how we envisioned or better.”
Vendors
Architectural Design: Gaskill Architecture
Interior Design: Gaskill Architecture
General Contractor: TK Construction
Cabinetry: Beahm and Son Ltd. Custom Cabinetry
Fixtures: Brizo
Countertops: Top It Off Granite
Tile: The Tile Shop
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