Thomas Matthew Crooks, who has been accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally, had multiple photos, including that of the Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, discovered on his cell phone.
Fox 5 News reported that during a joint briefing conducted by the Secret Service and FBI on Wednesday, authorities revealed that Crooks possessed photos of Willis along with images of other political figures like President Joe Biden, Rudy Giuliani, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Most of the photos that were found on Crooks’ phone, including those of Trump and Willis, were downloaded from the internet. Importantly, these images did not contain any explicit threats, according to the briefing details.
Investigators also noted the presence of Crooks' online searches which included topics related to Trump’s events, political conventions, and major depressive disorder. However, the specific motivation for downloading the photo of Fani Willis remains unknown at this stage of the investigation.
Willis, who announced a criminal investigation into Trump’s alleged election interference in Georgia on February 20, 2021, had also received threats over the past three years. A judicial ruling later required her or her colleague, Nathan Wade, to step aside from the case.
The investigation initiated by Willis led to a grand jury indicting Trump and 18 of his supporters after two and a half years of legal proceedings. Despite Judge Scott McAfee’s ruling, Willis' office was allowed to continue, provided she or Wade stepped aside, which eventually led to Wade's resignation.
Furthermore, Trump's trial in Georgia is currently on hold, awaiting the Supreme Court of Georgia's decision on several motions, including those related to disqualifying Willis from the case.
Oral arguments for these appeals, led by Trump and his co-defendants, are scheduled for December 5.
Threats against Willis have resulted in significant stress and a change in residency for her. A man from Alabama pled guilty in June to making threats, and another individual from California was indicted in May.
The suspicion over Crooks intensified when it was discovered that he had hinted at his plans on the online platform Steam. According to a report by FOX News, Crooks had posted: "July 13 will be my premiere, watch as it unfolds."
During the rally where the alleged assassination attempt took place, Trump sustained a minor injury. However, the incident led to the death of one individual and serious injuries to two others.
The ongoing investigation into the assassination attempt continues to unravel more details, with authorities closely examining the photos and online activities linked to Crooks.
The context and potential implications of these discoveries are being scrutinized by both federal and local law enforcement agencies.
The legal proceedings involving Fani Willis and Donald Trump remain complex and evolving.
The legal team representing Trump and his supporters is actively appealing decisions, and the December 5 oral arguments are anticipated to be a significant stage in the ongoing legal battle.
While a clear motive behind Crooks' actions and the context of his collected photos are still pieces that authorities are putting together, the evident threats posed to figures like Willis underscore the heightened security concerns surrounding politically charged cases.
The community and national observers continue to follow the unfolding events closely as both legal and security measures intensify in response to the incidents and findings.
