FBI gains access to Trump rally shooter's phone

Hasn't said how it did it, but has form cracking devices

The FBI on Monday revealed it has gained access to a phone it says was used by Thomas Matthew Crooks – the man who shot at and wounded former US president Donald Trump on July 13 in an apparent failed assassination attempt.

The bureau hasn't explained how it got into the cellphone, though it is known to have previously acquired capabilities that allow it to access locked devices – and even view encrypted content – despite the use of passwords and/or biometric authentication. Service providers sell phone-cracking tools that are widely used by US law enforcement agencies. The Feds may have been able to use Crooks' biometrics or some other way in, assuming there were any barriers at all.

The contents of Crooks' phone are hoped to contain information that leads to an understanding of the 20-year-old registered-Republican's motives, and possibly intelligence that helps authorities determine whether he acted alone or communicated with others who may have planned further acts of violence.

Crooks sparked chaos when he opened fire at Trump from a nearby roof during an open-air election rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, leaving the former president with a bloodied ear. The gunman was slain by a US Secret Service sniper seconds later.

A 50-year-old former fire chief, Corey Comperatore, who was in the bleachers just behind the ex-president, was shot in the head and killed after shielding his wife and daughter from gunfire.

The feds haven't offered any indication of when they might complete their analysis of the phone. The only communication has been an update to the effect that "technical specialists … continue to analyze his electronic devices."

Which suggests the bureau has more than a phone to work with.

The FBI is also working its way through "digital media tips which include photos and videos taken at the scene" and wrote that its “search of the subject's residence and vehicle are complete." ®