The FBI says it has unearthed a social media account that may be tied to would-be Donald Trump assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks that shared “antisemitic” ideas and embraced “political violence.”
The account identified by investigators left about 700 comments online between 2019 and 2020, Deputy FBI Director Paul Abbate testified before Congress Wednesday morning.
“Some of these comments, if ultimately attributable to the shooter, appear to reflect antisemitic and anti-immigration themes, to espouse political violence and are described as extreme in nature,” Abbate said.
“While the investigative team is still working to verify this account to determine if it did in fact belong to the shooter, we believe it important to share and note it today, particularly given the general absence of other information to date from social media and other sources of information that reflect o the shooter’s potential motive and mindset,” he acknowledged.
Investigators are still struggling to determine the motive for Crooks, 20, who scaled a factory roof in Butler, Pennsylvania, and open fire on Trump during a rally on July 13.
Trump was nicked in the ear by a bullet and a hero firefighter was killed. Two other rally attendees were badly wounded.