Police officials called it an AR-15. An ATF agent called it “nothing special.” But the rifle at the center of countless controversies is now at the center of the attempt to assassinate former President Donald Trump.
An AR-15-style rifle was found next to the body of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old authorities say wounded Trump and others and left one man dead in Butler County, Pennsylvania.
An FBI official said Sunday that the bureau believes the rifle, using 5.56 ammunition, was purchased legally by Crooks' father, Matthew Crooks. The official, on a call with reporters, said he did not know whether Crooks had permission to use the weapon.
The Crooks family’s digital footprint is small, but some of their few online tracks tie them to internet marketplaces that buy or sell guns.
An AR-15-style rifle was found next to the body of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old authorities say wounded Trump and others and left one man dead in Butler County, Pennsylvania.
An FBI official said Sunday that the bureau believes the rifle, using 5.56 ammunition, was purchased legally by Crooks' father, Matthew Crooks. The official, on a call with reporters, said he did not know whether Crooks had permission to use the weapon.
The Crooks family’s digital footprint is small, but some of their few online tracks tie them to internet marketplaces that buy or sell guns.
