The gunman who tried to assassinate Donald Trump researched a member of the Royal Family while planning his attack, the FBI has revealed. Thomas Crooks, 20, had ‘scoped out’ the venue for the former president’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in the days leading up to his attempt to kill him.
During a briefing call between the FBI and members of the US Congress afterwards, agents revealed that interrogation of Crooks’ electronic devices unearthed Google searches for an unnamed royal.
The computer whizz had also carried out searches for the bureau’s director Christopher Wray and attorney-general Merrick Garland.
Agents also discovered images of public figures including Trump and Joe Biden, as well as a list of dates of Trump appearances and the Democratic National Convention, The Times reports. It comes as the US Secret Service faces allegations of failing to protect Trump, who was lucky to survive when one of the gunman’s bullets grazed his ear as he turned his head.
