The FBI unlocks the phone of Trump's shooter just two days after incident

[midian182]

Why it matters: The FBI has revealed that it took just two days after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump for it to break into the phone of shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks. The agency likely achieved this using hacking tools such as those from Cellebrite. The Israeli company's products are widely used by law enforcement agencies to unlock phones and extract their data.

The FBI said that field agents in Pennsylvania, where Trump's rally took place, tried and failed to break into Crooks' phone, so it was sent to the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia.

The speed at which the feds were able to unlock Crooks' phone, which was presumably locked using passwords and/or biometric authentication, illustrates just how easily agencies can break into our devices and access their content – even when it's been encrypted.

The FBI never revealed the make or model of Crooks' handset. The press release adds that there have been searches of his residence and vehicle, and FBI technical specialists are continuing to analyze his electronic devices, suggesting the agency has more than just his phone.

Grayshift's GrayKey mobile device extraction tool

The FBI also said it is working through digital media tips that include photos and videos taken at the scene.

Cellebrite made headlines in 2016 when it was widely believed that its technology was used to break into the iPhone 5c belonging to Syed Rizwan Farook, one of the two perpetrators of a terrorist attack at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California. This was after Apple had refused a judge's order to help the FBI unlock the phone. Cupertino explained that doing so would require building a version of iOS that bypasses security in a way that would create a backdoor.

In 2021, it was reported that the outside party who helped the FBI access the phone wasn't Cellebrite but an Australian security firm called Azimuth Security, which used a Lightning port exploit to gain access. Former FBI director James Comey said unlocking the phone cost $1.3 million, though a senator later said the cost was $900,000.

Another company that provides mobile device extraction tools is Grayshift. Its GrayKey device is a popular tool among law enforcement agencies, and the company recently announced that the Magnet GrayKey has "full support" for Apple iOS 17, Samsung Galaxy S24 Devices, and Pixel 6 and 7 devices."

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The FBI unlocks the phone of Trump's shooter just two days after incident

 

[godrilla]

Its more important to have a public scapegoat than identity and fix the root cause. Quick hack something and don't implant any evidence .

 

[Achaios]

I imagine they are very eager to eliminate all evidence that could potentially lead to the boy's handlers.

 

[YudaHnK]

I imagine they are very eager to eliminate all evidence that could potentially lead to the boy's handlers.

Somehow this is a pattern.

 

[RudyBob]

I don't trust the Justice Department

 

[zx8086]

Police, etc, trying to solve a criminal case: "Nooooooooo !1!!! respect my PriVAcY !"
Corporations, etc, data mining everything: "take it Daddy! Take it harder!"

 

[pcnthuziast]

Regarding the media and the government, question everything, trust nothing.

It's all theater. In other words, scripted.

 

[Crabjuice]

I imagine they are very eager to eliminate all evidence that could potentially lead to the boy's handlers.

Give me a break. A mindless conspiracy based on paranoid delusions.

 

[Endymio]

Give me a break. A mindless conspiracy based on paranoid delusions.

You mean, except for the fact this is the same FBI that vanished Hunter's laptop for a year, then told the world it was "Russian disinformation", after they'd already validated it -- the same FBI that was found to have lied to FISA judges and fabricated evidence to spy on the Trump campaign. Their own Obama-appointed Inspector General found they'd violated their own rules and regulations more than 55 times in just that one case alone.

There's zero evidence at this point that this assassin was aided by others. But asking the FBI to investigate is asking the wolves to guard the chickens.

 

[godrilla]

Give me a break. A mindless conspiracy based on paranoid delusions.

Yeah the fact that the shooter was pointed out by the crowd for 3 minutes pointing yelling at a clear problematic vantage point and the delayed response of the Police and Secret service on a Lead political candidate is what exactly? The bystanders are not the usual ignore all the elephants in the room ideal citizens of the left type. It's not like the secret service/FBI made a public statement to quell the public outcry. Their actions seem to be opposite of what would warrant trust at this point. If they wanted the public's trust they would be more transparent on what clearly is in the best intrest of the public.
I guess we will find out what truly happened when they find where the white powder in the white house came from.

 

[Achaios]

I rest my case.

 

[Crabjuice]

Yeah the fact that the shooter was pointed out by the crowd for 3 minutes pointing yelling at a clear problematic vantage point and the delayed response of the Police and Secret service on a Lead political candidate is what exactly?

Incompetence is not evidence of malice.

 

[Endymio]

Incompetence is not evidence of malice.

What do you say to Homeland Security Director Mayorkas' multiple denials of requests for an adequate Secret Service detail for Trump? Or the Democrats who introduced a bill in Congress to strip Trump of Secret Service protection? Was that incompetence or malice?

 

[Crabjuice]

You mean, except for the fact this is the same FBI that vanished Hunter's laptop for a year, then told the world it was "Russian disinformation", after they'd already validate(d) it -- "

Generally, when evidence is received it is not immediately released to the public during an investigation. And no where did I find any evidence that the FBI said the laptop was "Russian disinformation" after they validated it.

Regardless, my comment was directed specifically about Trump's shooter having handlers. Even if the FBI was 100% unreliable (despite the problems found in the FBI, there is no evidence its a organizational wide problem), the idea they would use someone like Cook who was known to be a bad shot to off Trump is absurd.

 

[Crabjuice]

I rest my case.

Great example of simplistic thinking. Of course that pretty much goes hand in hand with political memes.

 

[Endymio]

And no where did I find any evidence that the FBI said the laptop was "Russian disinformation" after they validated it.

Politico: "Hunter Biden story is Russian disinfo, dozens of former intel officials say"

NBC News "...an official familiar with the matter told NBC News the FBI was actively examining whether the laptop was [the fruit of a foreign intelligence operation], confirming what two other people familiar with the matter said..."

BBC: "Zuckerberg tells Rogan FBI warning prompted Biden laptop story censorship by Facebook...."

"...An FBI official told the House Judiciary Committee in a transcribed interview that at least one top agent and likely others who were warning social media companies about a "hack and dump" operation ahead of the 2020 election knew Hunter Biden’s laptop was real...."

Regardless, my comment was directed specifically about Trump's shooter having handlers. Even if the FBI was 100% unreliable, the idea they would use someone like Cook who was known to be a bad shot to off Trump is absurd.

Strawman argument. No one is arguing the shooter worked for the FBI. The actual concern is two-fold:

1. That the FBI will hide, censor, or alter evidence -- as they've repeatedly done in the past -- in order to favor a particular political viewpoint, I.e. that the shooter didn't have an ideological motivation to assassinate Trump.

2. That, while no government entity conspired to kill anyone, security was intentionally left lax in the hopes a "lucky event" just might transpire.

To the second point, I ask you again: why did Mayorkas deny multiple requests for proper security for Trump? And was it malice or incompetence that prompted Democrats in Congress to attempt to remove Trump's Secret Service detail?

 

[godrilla]

Incompetence is not evidence of malice.

It's true but they are so sloppy I call them sloppy Joe's! Even their planted "Classified" evidence in the Morologago case got thrown out.

 

[Che Cazzo]

The amount of ignorance and wilful stupidity exhibited in some conspiracy threads is astonishing.
More proof that if somebody is a techie (or knows what RAM and CPU, GPU means...) , it doesn't automatically mean they're smart, not even remotely.

 

[JEisenPussofMan]

As much as I hate to say it. ill bet the same fbi/cia guys who took our jfk and mlk, and the pipeline, either helped or turned a blind eye here....guy was in literally the first spot any kid on fortnite would choose. I wonder if the media and establishment calling for the elimination of trump because hes hitler and were all nazis had anything to do with it

 

[noblody]

They probably used face unlock, the face was still available and so were the fingerprints.

 

[VoidTheWarranty]

Police, etc, trying to solve a criminal case: "Nooooooooo !1!!! respect my PriVAcY !"
Corporations, etc, data mining everything: "take it Daddy! Take it harder!"

I wonder if that's what Epstein made the 12/13 years old say to Trump.

 

[Hotlynx16]

Generally, when evidence is received it is not immediately released to the public during an investigation. And no where did I find any evidence that the FBI said the laptop was "Russian disinformation" after they validated it.

Regardless, my comment was directed specifically about Trump's shooter having handlers. Even if the FBI was 100% unreliable (despite the problems found in the FBI, there is no evidence its a organizational wide problem), the idea they would use someone like Cook who was known to be a bad shot to off Trump is absurd.

Cook was on the rifle team in high school!

 

[Endymio]

I wonder if that's what Epstein made the 12/13 years old say to Trump.

You're confused. Trump banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago years before Epstein's first sex crime conviction -- a conviction he received a sweetheart plea deal for, thanks to his connections with the Clintons. Even after that conviction, Epstein remained a Democrat megadonor, hosting parties in NYC that raised millions for the DNC. After Trump became President, the DOJ reopened the case, a and Epstein was finally properly charged.

When the Epstein files were finally released, millions of conspiracy-minded Leftists were disappointed to see Trump wasn't in his client list, nor had he ever visited Epstein's private island -- but many Democrats did repeatedly, including Bill Clinton.

 

[Endymio]

Malice or incompetence? Take your pick:

"...The director of the Secret Service is facing blistering criticism Tuesday after claiming that personnel were not positioned on top of the building where the Trump rally shooter opened fire because of a "sloped roof," despite images showing snipers set up on another sloped roof behind the former president’s podium.

U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle made the remark during an interview with ABC News, in which she said the agency was aware of the security vulnerabilities presented by the building Thomas Matthew Crooks took a sniper's position on to aim at Trump.

"That building in particular has a sloped roof at its highest point. And so, you know, there's a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn't want to put somebody up on a sloped roof...."

Still no response on why Director Mayorkas denied multiple requests for additional security for the Trump campaign.

 

[brucek]

I rest my case.

Well to be fair, there were like two whole other buildings within sight of the fairgrounds so they were probably just overwhelmed looking at those.

(fwiw I still find it all too easy to accept shocking incompetence vs. elaborate conspiracy in a wide range of screwups - it just doesn't seem all that uncommon.)