Staff Reports
A recent attempt on the life of former President Donald Trump has raised eyebrows, not just about the motives of the assailant, but also about the security missteps that allowed a shooter to get so close to a former commander-in-chief. The FBI’s Director, Christopher Wray, detailed the case of Thomas Matthew Crooks in a testimony that has conservatively minded folks scratching their heads.
Crooks, a self-proclaimed gun aficionado—because apparently, getting to the range is the new “American Dream”—became fixated on Trump just weeks before he attempted his attack. The FBI seemed to have done a deep dive into the man’s internet searches, which revealed a morbid curiosity about the distance from which Lee Harvey Oswald executed his infamous shooting in 1963. The troubling part is that this preoccupation hit peak “concerning” levels right around when he decided to register for one of Trump’s rallies. Someone needs to remind folks that Googling how to become a presidential assassin is likely not the best method for engaging in civic dialogue.
Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks was ‘avid’ gun hobbyist who zeroed in on former president a week before attack: Wrayhttps://t.co/bjOBso7DX7 pic.twitter.com/RhXCKym46W
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) July 25, 2024
On the day before the attack, Crooks practiced with an AR-15-style rifle. It’s delightful to know that while some choose to engage in responsible gun ownership, others take it as an opportunity to plan nefarious deeds. After a quick 70-minute session observing the rally site, complete with a drone flight just hours before trying to make President Trump the latest target on his shooting range, it’s fair to say that this dude was hardly hiding his intentions.
The shooter found himself atop a roof, rifle in hand—classic “not-so-subtle” position for a wannabe sniper. Local law enforcement had become suspicious of Crooks’ behavior and attempted to ascend the same roof. Apparently, he wasn’t shy about pointing his weapon back at officers. It’s unclear why he thought this gun-to-officer connect-the-dots game would help his case, but then again, sanity was likely in short supply for this individual.
Despite the unfortunate incident that resulted in injuries and one death, the Secret Service is now under fire for perceived inadequacies in their security protocol. In a show of congressional bipartisan backlash, the agency’s director has resigned amid calls for better measures. While the FBI claims they weren’t alerted to this risk until it was too late, one has to wonder how many layers of bureaucracy need to be in place before someone sounds the alarm when a suspicious drone flies over a political rally.
In short, the FBI’s revelation of Crooks being a “fairly avid shooting hobbyist” raises more questions than it answers. It seems this man decided to celebrate his gun fatness with an audacious attack that could have easily been thwarted if security protocols had been better executed. The entire event feels reflective of a larger societal ill: unhinged individuals motivated by fame, arms, and questionable mental health who see assassination as a means to achieve a dissenting opinion. This is not just a story of one man’s misguided interests, but a cautionary tale about what happens when the security of our leaders falls asleep at the wheel.
