Bomb-making materials found in a vehicle at the home of the suspect who shot Donald Trump

US law enforcement officials say bomb-making materials have been found in a vehicle at the home of a man suspected of shooting at a Donald Trump rally. Thomas Crooks, the alleged gunman, was shot dead after the former president was shot at a campaign rally.

It has since been widely reported that Crooks was a registered Republican. The BBC says she worked in a local nursing home kitchen.

Crooks was from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, about 43 miles from the site of the assassination attempt. He graduated in 2022 from Bethel Park High School with a $500 math and science award, according to a local newspaper.

The suspect was identified shortly after the shooting as 20-year-old Thomas Crooks of Pennsylvania. His father spoke to CNN in the hours after his son’s death to say he was trying to figure out “what the hell is going on” but “wait until I talk to law enforcement” before talking about his son.

Trump was left with a minor injury, but one person in the crowd was killed. Two other spectators were seriously injured, and the FBI called the shooting an attempted murder.

News of the discovery of bomb-making materials comes after the Republican presidential candidate said he would remain “resilient” and “defiant” after being targeted in an assassination attempt in which he said he was wounded but was ” good”. He issued the statement hours after the shooting, moments after which he raised his fist defiantly as he was covered by security guards.

Writing on Truth Social, the former US president wrote: “Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers yesterday as only God prevented the unthinkable from happening. We will not fear, but instead remain steadfast in our faith and defiant in the face of evil.

“Our love goes out to the other victims and their families. We pray for the recovery of those who were injured and keep in our hearts the memory of the citizen who was so horribly killed.

“Right now, it’s more important than ever that we stand together and show our true American character by staying strong and determined and not letting evil win. I truly love our country and I love you all and I look forward to speaking to our great nation this week in Wisconsin. DJT”

His wife, former US first lady Melania Trump, said today: “When I saw that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I knew that my life and Barron’s (the couple’s son) life was on the line. the threshold of a devastating change”.

Mrs Trump said she was “grateful for the brave Secret Service agents and law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line”. Her rare public statement came hours after the shooter was killed by the Secret Service after shots were fired at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.