Thomas Matthew Crooks reportedly downloaded images of Kate Middleton (Image: James Veysey/REX/Shutterstock)
Would-be Donald Trump assassin’s internet search history shows he scoped out a member of the Royal Family, the only non-US person on his list of high-profile people
The man who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump researched Princess Kate as he plotted another assassination, the FBI has revealed.
Thomas Matthew Crooks reportedly downloaded images of the 42-year-old Royal, who is battling cancer, onto his mobile phone. FBI agents seized two phones and a laptop when they raided his home after the shooting in Pennsylvania. And cyber specialists discovered the snaps of Kate when they cracked the 20-year-old’s devices.
The agency had previously refused to disclose the identity of the Royal whose photos were on Crooks’s mobile phone. But respected US broadcaster NPR said Kate’s name was mentioned to politicians during a phone briefing about the attack. Other people researched by Crooks included FBI director Christopher Wray and US attorney general Merrick Garland. His devices also contained images of President Joe Biden and Trump and dates of the Republican and Democratic conventions. There is no evidence to show Crooks planned to travel to the UK.
Secret Service and FBI officials gave members of Congress an update on the investigation into Crooks on Wednesday. Reporter Martin Kaste told NPR’s ‘All Things Considered’ show that his colleague Ryan Lucas had spoken to an official who was on the call. He said: “They briefed members of Congress that he had saved images of President Biden, Donald Trump, even Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales. He’d searched for dates of Trump’s speaking events, as well as the Democratic National Convention. They say they found no signs of any strong political ideology or foreign connections.”
Kate was the only non-American in the group of people found in Crooks’s internet search history. It is not yet clear why he was looking up the mum-of-three, who was seen at Wimbledon hours after the shooting. The Princess announced that she had cancer in March and has since been undergoing preventative chemotherapy.
Crooks was gunned down by the Secret Service just seconds after he opened fire at the former president during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania last weekend. The 78-year-old was just inches away from death after the gunman’s rifle clipped Mr Trump’s ear and killed a supporter of his in the audience. FBI investigators have told Congress that Crooks had gone online to scope out an unnamed member of the royals as well as other high-profile targets including Christopher Wray, the FBI’s director, and Merrick Garland, the US attorney general. The FBI declined to comment when approached by the Mirror last night.
Kate Middleton took a step back from Royal duties to focus on her health after announcing that she was receiving treatment for cancer. The future Queens last public appearance was on 14 July – the day after Trump was shot where she visited the Royal Box at Wimbledon. The Mirror has contacted Kensington Palace for comment.
