The motive of the gunman who attacked Donald Trump’s rally in Washington on Saturday remains unclear. He was able to kill one person and wound two others during the violent encounter.
In a statement, Biden said the shooter’ actions were politically motivated.
In response to the shooting, US Vice President Joe Biden called for an end to the violence in the country.
He noted that the country cannot allow this type of violence to become normalized. He urged Americans to “cool it down” and noted that political discourse in the country had become heated.
Details about the gunman, who was identified as 20-year old Thomas Crooks of Pennsylvania, emerged on Sunday.
The materials used to make explosive devices were discovered in the home and vehicle of the gunman.
Crooks was a member of the local gun club and a former classmate noted that he tried out for the rifle team of his high school.
The FBI is currently investigating if he was a domestic terrorist.
Officials from the Justice Department revealed that the phone used by Crooks was examined at the FBI’s laboratory in Virginia.
According to law enforcers, witnesses saw Crooks holding a rifle while he was on the roof of a building around 400 feet away from Trump’s rally. He was immediately reported to authorities.
According to the Butler County sheriff, a police officer was on the roof looking down when Crooks pointed his rifle at him. He then turned toward the crowd and fired multiple shots. The shooter was then killed by a Secret Service sniper.
Trump was immediately rushed out of the venue by armed agents. He later posted a message on his social media site saying that it was God’s intervention that prevented the shooting from happening. Biden ordered the US Secret Service to carry out an independent investigation into the security measures at the rally. He also said that he had asked the agency to examine the steps taken to ensure that the upcoming Republican National Convention would be safe.
Trump landed in Washington on Sunday. A White House official said that the president and Biden spoke by phone on Saturday night. The two men had a short conversation.