United States authorities discovered explosive devices in the car of a man alleged to have attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump, as reported by the American Wall Street Journal on Sunday, citing unnamed sources.
The vehicle, driven by the suspected assailant Thomas Matthew Crooks, was found near the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, according to the newspaper.
Both the Wall Street Journal and ABC News reported that the firearm used by Crooks was purchased by his father.
Meanwhile, CNN disclosed that explosive materials were also found inside the suspect’s residence.
The incident is being investigated as an assassination attempt.
Trump, who is running again for the US presidential elections, was attacked during a campaign rally. He was shot in the ear, causing blood to streak across his face, prompting his security agents to surround him. Despite the attack, he emerged, pumping his fist in the air and mouthing the words “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. He was shot and killed by the Secret Service immediately after he fired multiple shots towards Trump.
The US Secret Service issued a statement saying the shooter “fired multiple shots towards the stage from an elevated position outside the rally” before being “neutralised” by agents.
“I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear,” Trump later stated on his Truth Social platform following the shooting in Pennsylvania, about 30 miles (50 km) north of Pittsburgh.
“There was significant bleeding.” However, the Trump campaign reported he was “doing well.”
The shooting took place less than four months before the November 5 election, where Trump faces a rematch against Democratic President Joe Biden. Most opinion polls, including those by Reuters/Ipsos, show the two in a tight race.
Biden stated: “There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.”
