Thomas Matthew Crooks, the man who tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania, joined a gun club less than a year before the shooting, according to the Daily Mail.
Crooks visited a shooting range 43 times and went to target practice three to six times per month, the Daily Mail reported, citing records obtained by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.
The 20-year-old last visited the shooting range on Friday, July 12 at 2:45 p.m., a day before he shot at Trump, killing one person and injuring two others before he was shot by Secret Service.
According to logs kept by the Clarion Sportsman Club, Crooks spent 80% of his time at the range doing rifle practice with long guns rather than handguns, Daily Mail reported. He even spent Christmas at the gun club, the Daily Mail reported.
The security breakdowns that allowed Crooks to set up a position on a rooftop about 130 yards from where Trump was speaking led to the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. The FBI has been investigating Crooks' motive.
Information from Reuters was used in this report.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.