Investigators now believe that the Steam account linked to the man who fired shots at former President Donald Trump over the weekend may be fake, according to a US official briefed on the situation by CNN.
Earlier on Thursday, CNN reported, based on a source familiar with the matter, that Thomas Matthews Crooks posted a message stating, “July 13 will be my premiere, watch as it unfolds.” The source did not provide further details regarding the timing of the post or whether there were additional posts.
On Wednesday, the FBI informed senators that they initially believed the account belonged to Crooks, as per the source briefed on the matter. However, the US official stated that the bureau has now revised its assessment. Officials emphasize that the investigation remains in its early stages and has not yet uncovered a potential motive.
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Investigators are actively seeking more information about Crooks’ activities in the days and hours leading up to his attempt to harm the former president. Crooks visited the location of a Trump rally on two occasions, his cell phone contained images of both Trump and President Joe Biden, and his online searches included dates related to the Democratic National Convention and upcoming Trump events, as reported by three US officials to CNN.
Despite examining both physical and digital evidence, investigators have not yet determined the motive behind why the 20-year-old climbed onto the roof in Butler, Pennsylvania, armed with an AR-style weapon.
During briefings with Congress on Wednesday, administration officials disclosed that Crooks had also conducted online searches related to major depressive disorder.
