FBI is working to break into the phone of the Trump rally shooter

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the investigation into the shooting incident at a Pennsylvania rally, where the shooter's phone is being examined by the FBI to uncover his motives.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Investigators' Efforts to Access the Shooter's Phone

1. What are the investigators doing to access the shooter's phone?

• The FBI has obtained the shooter's phone for examination.
• Agents in Pennsylvania were unable to break into the phone, so it has been shipped to the FBI's lab in Quantico, Virginia, where they hope to get past the phone's password protection.

2. What challenges have the investigators faced in accessing the phone?

• The FBI has not been able to break into the phone's password protection, which is why it has been sent to the Quantico lab for further examination.
• Law enforcement often faces challenges in bypassing device encryption when trying to access suspects' phones.

3. How have tech companies responded to law enforcement requests to bypass device encryption in the past?

• In 2015, Apple refused to help the FBI bypass the encryption on the iPhone of a shooter in San Bernardino, California, claiming that it would undermine the security of all iPhones.
• The FBI eventually managed to break into the phone with the help of an Australian security company.

[02] Investigating the Shooter's Motives

1. What information do investigators have about the shooter's motives?

• Investigators are still looking for insight into the motives of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, who they identified as the gunman.
• The FBI has access to some of Crooks' text messages, but they haven't shed much light on his beliefs.