According to the Washington Post, the FBI reportedly utilized Israeli technology to swiftly access the phone belonging to Thomas Matthew Crooks, the individual who attempted to assassinate former US President Donald Trump. Crooks, 20, from Bethel, Pennsylvania, opened fire at a Trump rally in nearby Butler, resulting in one fatality, two critical injuries, and a minor injury to Trump from a grazing bullet to his right ear. The Secret Service subsequently fatally shot Crooks.
Crooks' phone, recovered from his person, was hacked using Cellebrite technology to assist investigators in determining his motive, which remains unclear. Typically, such phone cracking could have taken weeks or even months, but the Israeli technology reportedly achieved this in just 40 minutes.
Cellebrite, a NASDAQ-listed company, has faced criticism from human rights organizations in the past for providing services to authoritarian governments, including Pakistan and Belarus.
Investigators are exploring the possibility that Crooks possessed two phones, as they found a second phone with a depleted battery at his residence in Bethel Park, where he lived with his parents.
According to the Post, neighbours and Crooks' school counsellor described him and his family as normal. One neighbour characterized Crooks as a "quiet, dorky kid" typical of the area, while the counsellor, who knew his older sister, refuted claims of bullying and described him as "quiet," "intelligent," "cooperative," and "well-spoken."
The Post's sources noted that Crooks' parents, both licensed social workers, were caring but might not have been fully aware of their son's activities. Neighbours recalled seeing Trump signs on the family's lawn.