Trump shooter did not use ladder to gain access to roof: FBI head Christopher Wray

FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, providing new insights into the methods used by 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks during his attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Wray clarified that Crooks did not use a ladder to access the rooftop from which he fired at Trump, as previously thought.

Instead, Wray explained that Crooks likely used "mechanical equipment" found on the ground and vertical piping on the side of the building to reach the rooftop. Despite a receipt found on Crooks indicating he had purchased a five-foot ladder, the ladder was not present at the scene, and the FBI remains uncertain about how Crooks actually gained access to the rooftop.

In addition to these details, Wray disclosed that Crooks had researched the distance between Lee Harvey Oswald and President John F. Kennedy before the shooting, suggesting he may have been comparing his planned attack to the historical assassination. Furthermore, the FBI believes Crooks may have used a collapsible stock on his rifle to make it easier to conceal from nearby law enforcement.

Wray also revealed that Crooks had flown a drone near the event grounds of the campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, two hours before the shooting.

Despite these revelations, many questions remain unanswered, including why the Secret Service did not intervene despite having prior knowledge of Crooks. Law enforcement revealed that they had identified Crooks as suspicious before the incident and had even taken photographs of him.

“We need to know play-by-play, moment-by-moment, second-by-second,”  Representative Jim Jordan emphasized to Wray at the start of Wednesday’s hearing.