Fulton County DA Willis' photo found on Thomas Matthew Crooks' cell phone
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - A photo of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was found on the phone of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the young man accused of trying to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a rally on Saturday in Pennsylvania.
That information was revealed during a Secret Service and FBI briefing on Wednesday, according to CNN. They also found photos of Trump, President Biden, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and others.
Almost all the photos appear to have been downloaded from the internet and were not accompanied by any threatening language or messages.
It was also revealed that Crooks conducted online searches about various Trump events, both the Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention, and major depressive disorder.
It's unknown why Crooks downloaded the Fulton County DA's photo. However, she is prosecuting both Trump and Giuliani.
RELATED STORIES
- Trump shooter Thomas Crooks reportedly teased attack in message online
- Trump shooter's parents called police hours before assassination attempt
- Trump rally shooting investigation: What we know
- Gun sales skyrocket at Smyrna shop after Trump assassination attempt, owner says
- Minutes after Trump shooting, misinformation started flying. Here are the facts
- Georgia Democrats, Republicans condemn Trump assassination attempt
- PHOTOS: Attempted assassination of former President Trump at Pennsylvania rally
Willis investigates Donald Trump
Willis announced on Feb. 20, 2021, that she was launching a criminal investigation into Trump's alleged attempt to change the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.
After a 2-1/2 year investigation, a grand jury handed up an indictment against Trump and 18 of his supporters for election interference.
RELATED: Georgia election probe timeline: From November 2020 to August 2023
Prosecution on hold
However, Trump has not yet gone to trial in the state of Georgia. The case has been put on hold until the Georgia Supreme Court can hear oral arguments on motions to remove Willis from the case.
Former White House staffer Michael Roman filed a motion in January 2024 to disqualify Willis because of an "improper" romantic relationship with former special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
After months of drama and a hearing, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ruled that the Fulton County District Attorney's Office could continue to handle the case but either Willis or Wade would need to step aside. Wade submitted his resignation a few hours later.
RELATED: Timeline: Fulton County DA Fani Willis, Nathan Wade controversy
Trump and his remaining co-defendants were unhappy with that decision and submitted an appeal to Georgia's appellate court. They announced this week that they will hear oral arguments on Dec. 5.
Willis talks about threats
DA Willis has spoken many times about the threats she has received over the last 3 years because of her investigation into Trump and his allies. Willis claims that she was forced to leave her home in South Fulton.
An Alabama man pled guilty in June to leaving threatening phone messages for the district attorney last summer because he was angry about the election interference investigation.
A California man was also indicted in May for threatening to kill Willis "like a dog."
Trump assassination attempt still under investigation
At this time, officials say they are still looking into what motivated Crooks to try to kill the former president as he spoke to his supporters at Saturday's rally.
FOX News is reporting that Crooks apparently teased an attack online in the days before the assassination attempt on the gaming platform Steam. Crooks allegedly wrote: "July 13 will be my premiere, watch as it unfolds," according to the officials.
Although Trump's injury was minor, one person was killed and two others were seriously injured.