Thomas Crooks Declared 'July 13 Will Be My Premiere' Prior To Donald Trump Rally Shooting

Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at a Donald Trump rally on Saturday in Pennsylvania. The 20-year-old used an AR-style rifle, which was recovered at the scene and later determined to be registered to Crooks' father.

Out of the six to eight shots fired, one bullet grazed the former President's right ear, leaving a bloody wound on that side of his face. The Secret Service shot and killed Crooks seconds after he fired the first shot.

As investigators continue to try and determine the motive behind the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, they have discovered a message on the gaming platform Steam that may have indicated Thomas Matthew Crooks' plans before the shooting.

According to ABC, three law enforcement sources revealed they believe the suspect wrote a message that stated, "July 13 will be my premiere; Watch as it unfolds," seemingly hinting at his plans for the rally shooting.

While investigators found something on Steam, they discovered that on another social media platform, Discord, he never mentioned violence or his murderous plans, per TMZ.

"Based on our investigation, the suspect rarely used Discord and had not been active in months," a rep for the social media platform told the outlet. "And we found no evidence that he planned this incident, promoted violence, or discussed his political views on Discord."

Additionally, they found internet searches for both Trump and President Joe Biden on Crooks' phone, including a search for the dates of Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, as well as the dates of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

State records indicate that Crooks had been registered as a Republican voter. However, FEC records also show a $15 donation to a progressive group under the name "Thomas Crooks" in January 2021, the day President Joe Biden was sworn in, leaving investigators questioning what his political affiliate was at the time of the shooting.

Crooks, who graduated with the Class of 2022 from Bethel Park High School, resided in a suburb in the hills south of Pittsburgh, approximately an hour's drive from the rally location.

Many are starting to question how law enforcement and the Secret Service handled the situation, as some attendees claim they noticed Crooks on the roof before he began shooting and tried to warn the police.

"The incident in Pennsylvania has understandably led to questions about potential updates or changes to the security for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee," Director Kimberly Cheatle said, per Fox.

"The U.S. Secret Service, in conjunction with our Federal, state, and local law enforcement and public safety partners, designs operational security plans for National Special Security Events (NSSE) to be dynamic in order to respond to a kinetic security environment and the most up-to-date intelligence from our partners."

According to The Hill, the 20-year-old was working as a dietary aide at the Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center at the time of the shooting.

“This morning, Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center became aware that Thomas Matthew Crooks, a dietary aide at the Center, was the alleged shooter in the assassination attempt on Former President Trump,” Marcie Grimm, the administrator for the center, said in a statement.

“We are shocked and saddened to learn of his involvement, as Thomas Matthew Crooks performed his job without concern and his background check was clean. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement officials at this time. Due to the ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further on any specifics," she continued. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to Former President Trump and the victims impacted by this terrible tragedy. We condemn all acts of violence.”

Crooks not only asked his father to borrow the AR-style rifle on the morning of the shooting but also bought 50 rounds of ammunition and requested the day off from his employer.

“We are working hard to determine the sequence of events related to the subject and his movements in the hours, days, and weeks prior to the shooting,” Kevin Rojek, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office said earlier this week.

The shooter’s parents have been cooperating with law enforcement.