Pigeon Forge, TN (WOKI) Firefighters in Pigeon Forge are grieving the loss of one of their own on Sunday.
Officials with the Pigeon Forge Fire Department say firefighter 20-year-old Aaron Huss died Sunday night, July 14 in a motorcycle crash on I-40 in Knox County.
The department, along with troopers from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, escorted Huss Monday from the Knox County medical examiner’s office to a funeral home.
It’s no secret that 11-time Billboard Music Award-winner Morgan Wallen has remained loyal to his Tennessee roots throughout his career. Growing up in Sneedville, Tennessee, before moving to Knoxville as a teenager, Wallen’s affinity for the University of Tennessee Vols has inspired hits such as “Tennessee Fan” and “Had Me By Halftime,” while he continues to cheer on his favorite team between tour stops.
Now Wallen, celebrated by Philadelphia Inquirer as a “savvy showman,” is bookending his Pollstar and Billboard-awarded Country Tour of the Year, One Night At A Time, with a show he’s always wanted to headline: Neyland Stadium. Produced by Live Nation, on Sunday, Sept. 22, Wallen will be joined by special guests HARDY and fellow Tennessee-native ERNEST with tickets going on-sale at 11 AM EST this Wednesday, July 17. Available at MorganWallen.com.
“I’ve had the honor of playing in a lot of college, MLB and NFL stadiums the past two years, but getting to play to my hometown at Neyland Stadium, nothing tops this for a boy from East Tennessee,” shares Wallen, who reactivated his Instagram this morning to share the news.
Fans can also purchase VIP Packages, which may include premium tickets, guided backstage tour, group photo on the stage, invitation to the Morgan Wallen VIP Lounge, VIP-exclusive gift item and more. VIP package contents vary based on the offer selected. For more information, visit vipnation.com.
Wallen recently returned stateside following his BST Hyde Park London headlining debut alongside openers Riley Green, ERNEST, Ella Langley, Alana Springsteen, Zandi Holup and more. Becoming the largest country concert ever held in the U.K. with over 50,000 attendees, Wallen’s performance left The Times noting “America’s biggest country star charms Hyde Park” as Billboard added Wallen established himself “as a key figure in heightening country music’s global reach.”
While in the U.K., Wallen also released fan-favorite “Lies Lies Lies” after originally recording it at London’s Abbey Road Studios for his digital series Abbey Road Sessions on Dec. 5, 2023. With Music Row critic Robert Oermann declaring it a “lovelorn lament,” Billboard opined “the angst-fueled ballad offers a vessel for the soulful nuances in Wallen’s Tennessee twang.”
With a portion of every ticket purchased to his live shows benefiting The Morgan Wallen Foundation (MWF), the nonprofit recently donated $100,000 to the community of Jefferson City to improve and renovate two local baseball fields. With $80,000 going toward Roy Harmon Field via the City Parks Department and $20,000 toward New Market Field via Jefferson City Little League, the renovations include new infields, bases, dug outs, press boxes, backstop padding, fencing and more. Read more HERE.
With just ten dates remaining on One Night At A Time in the U.S., Wallen will kick-off his first-ever European tour on Aug. 28 in Stockholm, Sweden. The seven show run will include additional stops in Copenhagen, Denmark; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Glasgow, U.K. and more before concluding with two back-to-back nights in Dublin, Ireland.
Morgan Wallen One Night At A Time 2024 Remaining U.S. Tour Dates:
Thurs, July 25 // Arlington, TX // AT&T Stadium* ~ @ =
Fri, July 26 // Arlington, TX // AT&T Stadium* # @ =
Thurs, Aug 1 // Kansas City, MO // GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium* ? @ <
Fri, Aug 2 // Kansas City, MO // GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium* % @ <
Thurs, Aug 8 // Las Vegas, NV // Allegiant Stadium* ~ @ <
Fri, Aug 9 // Las Vegas, NV // Allegiant Stadium* % @ <
Sun, Sept 22 // Knoxville, TN // Neyland Stadium * & $
Sat, Oct 5 // Tampa, FL // Raymond James Stadium* TBD
Thurs, Oct 18 // Charlotte, NC // Bank of America Stadium* TBD
Fri, Oct 19 // Charlotte, NC // Bank of America Stadium* TBD
Former President Trump is now breaking his silence on the assassination attempt against him during a rally on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“I’m not supposed to be here, I’m supposed to be dead,” Trump told the New York Post. “I’m supposed to be dead.”
“The doctor at the hospital said he never saw anything like this, he called it a miracle,” Trump also told the newspaper onboard his private plane while heading to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for this week’s Republican National Convention. “By luck or by God, many people are saying it’s by God I’m still here.”
Trump told the Post that had he not turned his head slightly to the right to read a chart on illegal immigration, the bullet that grazed him would have been fatal.
He described the Secret Service agents that rushed at him like “linebackers,” mentioning another one eliminated the gunman with “one shot right between the eyes.”
“They did a fantastic job,” he told the Post. “It’s surreal for all of us.”
As Secret Service agents rushed Trump off the stage, he was heard saying he wanted to get his shoes.
“The agents hit me so hard that my shoes fell off, and my shoes are tight,” he explained to the Post.
Trump, reacting to images of him raising his fist and being surrounded by Secret Service agents in the seconds following the shooting, said, “A lot of people say it’s the most iconic photo they’ve ever seen.”
“They’re right and I didn’t die. Usually you have to die to have an iconic picture,” he added. “I just wanted to keep speaking, but I just got shot.”
Trump also told the New York Post that he appreciated the “fine” and “very nice” call he received from President Biden in the aftermath of the event, noting – without specifics – that the race between them could be more civil going forward.
He praised his rally audience for staying calm during the entire incident.
“A lot of places … you hear a single shot, everybody runs. Here there were many shots and they stayed,” Trump said. “I love them. They are such great people.”
The Republican National Convention starts today (Monday) and former president Donald Trump is undeterred from speaking at the event despite the recent attempt on his life. The R-N-C will last four days and former president Trump is expected to announce his running mate choice.
More about man who died protecting his family at the rally. BETHEL PARK, Penn. – EXCLUSIVE: The volunteer firefighter who died shielding his family from a sniper’s bullets intended for former President Donald Trump during a rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania is being remembered as a selfless “girl dad” and churchgoing family man who put others before himself on a regular basis.
Corey Comperatore, 50, died Saturday night while shielding his wife and family from gunfire after a 20-year-old man snuck onto a roof and started shooting at Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“It’s just so typical of him, the way it all happened, with protecting his wife and his daughter and just throwing himself on top of them when they hear the shooting,” said Eileen Shamanski, whose children grew up playing soccer alongside Comperatore’s daughters.
“He was an all around good guy that was always there to lend a hand and support not just his own children but all the other kids who were friends of their girls and on the team,” she told Fox News Digital. “He had a just give it your all attitude, [and] a lot of kids respected him for that, just always being there supporting, giving those pep talks to get them going. It’s going to be a big loss.”
Their families have been close for years due to their girls’ common interest in travel soccer, she said. And although Comperatore worked long hours and volunteered to battle flames in his downtime, he never missed a game or a practice, she said.
“We didn’t think it was true at first, when my daughters called me crying,” she said. “Then we saw his wife and daughter on the news, when they were tending to him – it was just a sad thing to see, so sad, but I know he would’ve done it again in a heartbeat if it came down to it.”
“It makes a difference when you’re there in the stands to cheer them on,” she said. “The girls, you could see it in their faces, they just opened up with him, and he would travel for away tournaments. Him and his wife were always there, always being there to support them.”
Both daughters are in their 20s now, she said.
Secret Service agents shot and killed the suspect, Thomas Matthew Crooks, within moments of his first shot. But not before he killed Comperatore and wounded two more bystanders, according to authorities.
Trump himself said a bullet tore through part of his right ear and was pictured with blood on the side of his head as agents led him offstage. Before he got into his motorcade, he raised a fist, prompting cheers from the crowd.
“Corey died a hero,” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro told reporters on Saturday, after speaking with Comperatore’s wife Helen. “Corey dove on his family to protect them.”
In a post from one of his daughter’s Allyson, that was no longer public Sunday, she remembered him as “the best dad a girl could ask for.”
“The media will not tell you that he died a real-life super hero,” she continued. “They are not going to tell you how quickly he threw my mom and I to the ground. They are not going to tell you that he shielded my body from the bullet that came at us.” Comperatore was an engineer and a volunteer firefighter. He attended church every Sunday and by many accounts would help out anyone in a heartbeat.
More about the suspected shooter:
The FBI has taken on the role of lead investigator into the shooting. Authorities said Sunday they had no known motive, Crooks had no criminal record or documented history of mental illness.
But authorities said they did found bomb-making materials in his vehicle, and that they were focused on retrieving data from his phone records.
Bethel Park School District can confirm that the shooter in the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt on former President Donald J. Trump is a graduate of Bethel Park High School. Thomas Matthew Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School with the Class of 2022. (Bethel Park School District)
“What we witnessed yesterday was nothing short of an attack on democracy and our democratic process,” FBI Director Christopher Wray told reporters on a conference call Sunday. “An attempt to assassinate a presidential candidate can only be described as absolutely despicable and will not be tolerated in this country.”
An aerial view shows vehicles of law enforcement members who work at the home of 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, named by the FBI as the shooter in the attempted assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump, in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 14, 2024. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)
The attack prompted widespread condemnation from leaders around the world, across political lines.
Story courtesy of Fox News
An investigation is underway in Jefferson County following a tragic early morning (Monday) fire.
Crews called to Lick Skillet Farm, a venue establishment, just after 4 a.m.
Officials say several agencies from other counties helped battle this blaze and some animals died in the fire and some equipment has been destroyed.
Captain Sammy Soloman with the New Market Volunteer Fire Department tells our news partner WVLT the farm owner and several employees saved some animals in the barn before fire crews arrived.
No injuries have been reported.
FORT WORTH, Texas – Tennessee led all programs with four picks on day one of the 2024 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, representing the most players selected through the first two rounds of any draft in program history.
⚾️MOST DRAFT PICKS ON SUNDAY⚾️
Tennessee 4
LSU 3
Wake Forest 3
FSU 2
Kentucky 2
Mississippi State 2
Oregon State 2
Texas A&M 2
Vanderbilt 2
Virginia 2— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) July 15, 2024
For the second time in the last three years, Tennessee had two players selected in the first round of the MLB Draft, as the Vols’ dynamic duo of Christian Moore (No. 8 overall – Los Angeles Angels) and Blake Burke (No. 34 overall – Milwaukee Brewers) joined the growing list of UT first rounders.
The Vols have had at least one player selected in the first round of the MLB Draft in four of the last five years, and with Moore’s selection, have now had players picked in the top-10 overall in back-to-back drafts for the first time in program history during the modern draft era after pitcher Chase Dollander went ninth overall to the Colorado Rockies last year.
Moore and Burke, who rank first and second in program history in career home runs, are the 20th and 21st first-round picks in program history and the fifth and sixth under head coach Tony Vitello and staff.
The Big Orange also boasted two second-round picks in third baseman Billy Amick (No. 60 overall – Minnesota Twins) and outfielder Dylan Dreiling (No. 65 overall – Texas Rangers), a duo that combined to drive in 140 runs this season while helping lead Tennessee to its first National Championship in program history.
The latest Vol bound for 𝕋𝕚𝕟𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕥𝕠𝕨𝕟 😎#MLBDraft // #GBO pic.twitter.com/MWO0VRbZFS— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) July 15, 2024
Moore is the highest drafted Tennessee player of the Vitello era (2018-pres.) and the highest selected Vol since Nick Senzel went No. 2 overall to the Cincinnati Reds in 2016. Moore is coming off a record-setting junior season for the National Champion Volunteers, receiving first-team All-America honors from D1Baseball.com, Baseball America and Perfect Game as well as first-team All-SEC acclaim.
The Brooklyn, New York, native became just the third player in Southeastern Conference history to win the Triple Crown with his stats in league play, leading the SEC with a .429 batting average, 20 home runs and 41 RBIs in conference play while also leading the league with 57 hits and 123 total bases.
Moore finished the year as the nation’s leader in hits (111) and total bases (236) while also ranking in the top-25 nationally in home runs (3rd – 34), runs (t-8th – 83) and slugging percentage (14th – .797).
Moore’s numbers from this season rank in the top 10 in UT single-season annals in multiple categories, including first in home runs (34), first in total bases (236), first in extra-base hits (55), second in hits (111), third in runs (83), seventh in slugging percentage (.797) and seventh in RBIs (74). Moore also finished his Tennessee career as the program’s all-time home run leader with 61 while ranking in the top-10 in slugging percentage (third – .697), extra base hits (third – 100), total bases (third – 438), runs (fourth – 179), walks (fifth – 115) and RBIs (sixth – 160).
Dollywood to Hollywood!
C-Mo is headed to LA.#GBO // #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/Eu5c1SjUu9— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) July 15, 2024
We foresee lots of trips down the slide in Bernie Brewer’s future!#GBO // #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/ZtDWDwRN3Y— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) July 15, 2024
Burke is coming off his best season at the collegiate level, leading the nation with 30 doubles and finishing second in the country with 108 hits. The junior slugger’s 30 doubles were tied for the most in program history while his 108 hits ranked fifth most in Tennessee single-season history. Burke also posted career highs in batting average (.379), runs (74), home runs (20), RBIs (61), walks (35), total bases (200) and stolen bases (11) in 2024. His 50 career home runs rank second all-time at UT.
The California native was a unanimous first-team All-American at first base, becoming the second UT player to do so in the Vitello era. Burke is now a member of an exclusive group of Volunteers to garner first-team acclaim from five or more outlets, joining the likes of program legends Todd Helton (1995), Jeff Pickler (1998), Chris Burke (2001), Luke Hochevar (2005) and Dollander (2022).
Blake to the Brew Crew!#GBO // #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/20hmG4j0D7— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) July 15, 2024
Hey @Twins, y’all got The Stroke on your playlist? #GBO // #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/qy2y27dYZ0— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) July 15, 2024
Amick made the most of his lone season on Rocky Top, ranking among the team leaders in a handful of offensive categories for the national champion Volunteers despite missing eight games due to injury. His 23 home runs were tied for second on the team while his 65 RBIs were third most for UT.
The Batesburg, South Carolina, native was tabbed a first-team midseason All-American by Perfect Game and was named the SEC Player of the Week on March 4. Amick played his first two years of college ball at Clemson where he was an All-American and All-SEC selection as a sophomore in 2023.
Billy Barrels is a Minnesota Twin!#GBO // #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/U8QJtbz9Ku— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) July 15, 2024
Mr. Clutch knows a thing or two about winning titles. Should fit right in with the reigning World Series Champs!#GBO // #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/fwHb3qQCcu— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) July 15, 2024
Dreiling was selected with the final pick of the second round after a breakout sophomore season for the Big Orange, hitting .341 with 19 doubles, 23 home runs and a team-leading 75 RBIs, which rank sixth most in program history.
The third-team D1Baseball.com All-American and first-team All-SEC outfielder also led the Vols with 53 walks and a .459 on-base percentage.
Dreiling saved his best performances for the biggest moments, earning Most Outstanding Player honors at the Men’s College World Series after leading the team with a .542 batting average, three home runs and 11 RBIs during the Vols’ championship run in Omaha. In the championship series, Dreiling went 7-for-12 with four runs and seven RBIs and became the first player in MCWS history to homer in all three games of the finals.
They say everything is bigger in Texas, well, you won’t find a player in this year’s draft with bigger swings than Dylan Dreiling!@Rangers, you got a good one!#GBO // #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/Ib4LPLPRWE— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) July 15, 2024
The 2024 MLB Draft will continue on Monday afternoon starting at 2 p.m. ET with rounds 3-10 while the final 10 rounds will take place on Tuesday afternoon. Coverage of the remaining rounds can be seen on MLB.com.
This story will be updated as more Tennessee players are selected throughout the draft.
The Knoxville Fire Department is investigating a house fire in Northwest Knoxville.
Crews called to a house fire in the 1800 block of Silver Cloud Lane early last night (Sunday). The female caller said her home was full of smoke and that her husband was going back in.
Everyone was out of the home when crews arrived and put out the fire. The occupants had been away from home and returned from an hour and a half-long trip and heard their smoke alarms and saw the smoke.
No injuries were reported but the home has suffered extensive smoke, fire, and water damage.
The American Red Cross is assisting the occupants.
President Biden addressed the nation from the Oval Office on Sunday night, saying the attempted assassination of former President Trump is forcing Americans to “take a step back” and calling on all sides to “lower the temperature in our politics.”
“My fellow Americans, I want to speak to you tonight about the need for us to lower the temperature in our politics,” Biden said. “Do remember, while we may disagree, we are not enemies. We’re neighbors, we’re friends, coworkers, citizens, and most importantly, we are fellow Americans. We must stand together.”
The attempted assassination of Trump “calls on all of us to take a step back, take stock of where we are,” he added.
Biden said he was “grateful” that Trump is “doing well” and said he is keeping “him and his family in our prayers.” He also extended “our deepest condolences” to the family of Corey Comperatore, who was fatally shot as he shielded his wife and daughters from the bullets.
BIDEN VOWS SECRET SERVICE WILL PROVIDE TRUMP WITH ‘EVERY RESOURCE’ TO ENSURE ‘CONTINUED SAFETY’
The president linked several incidents of recent political violence to the attempt on Trump, pointing to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021; the attack on former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband; an attempted plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020; and the “intimidation of election officials.”
“There is no place in America for this kind of violence or for any violence, ever, period. No exceptions,” Biden said.
The president stressed that “disagreement is inevitable in American democracy” and “part of human nature,” but incidents like the shooting on Saturday cannot be “normalized.”
“Politics must never be a literal battlefield,” Biden said, “God forbid – a killing field.”
Trump was hit as multiple shots were fired toward the stage from an elevated position near the outdoor venue where he was holding a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. The bullet pierced the upper part of his right ear before the former president was rushed from the stage by Secret Service agents.
The would-be assassin was identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was killed by a Secret Service sniper soon after he opened fire.
But Crooks killed one spectator: Comperatore, a former fire chief in Buffalo Township, Pennsylvania.
Authorities say two other people were critically injured in the attack and the FBI is investigating the shooting as an assassination attempt.
“Tonight I want to speak to what we do know: A former president was shot. An American citizen killed simply exercising his freedom to support the candidate of his choosing,” Biden continued. “We cannot, we must not, go down this road in America.”
Biden said politics should be an “arena for peaceful debate to pursue justice, to make decisions guided by the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution.”
“We stand for an America not of extremism and fury but of decency and grace,” Biden said. “All of us now face a time of testing as [the] election approaches. The higher the stakes, the more fervent the passions become.”
Biden pointed to the start of the Republican National Convention on Monday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
“I’ve no doubt they’ll criticize my record and offer their own vision for this country,” Biden said. “I’ll be traveling this week, making the case for our record and the vision, my vision, for the country, our vision. I’ll continue to speak out strongly for our democracy, stand up for our Constitution and the rule of law, to call for action at the ballot box, [not] violence on our streets. That’s how democracy should work.”
Biden said the parties need to “resolve our differences at the ballot box” and called for Americans to “get out of our silos.”
“Let’s remember here in America, our unity is the most elusive of all goals right now,” he said. “Nothing is more important for us now than standing together. We can do this.”
Biden urged Americans to “never lose sight of who we are.”
The Oval Office address was Biden’s second opportunity to speak about the Trump assassination attempt on Sunday. Earlier in the day, he said he talked with Trump on Saturday night and the rivals “had a short but good conversation.”
Biden, during his afternoon remarks from the Roosevelt Room at the White House, vowed to ensure the U.S. Secret Service provides Trump with “every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure his continued safety.”
Biden also said he has “directed the head of the Secret Service to review all security measures for all security measures for the Republican National Convention, which is scheduled to start tomorrow.”
Biden said he is “directing an independent review of the security at yesterday’s rally to assess exactly what happened, and we’ll share the results of that independent review with the American people as well.”
The Biden campaign on Saturday night announced it would pause all outbound communications and pull down their campaign ads targeting Trump. The campaign was in the middle of a $50 million ad blitz this month, with spots running in all the key battleground states.
Nikki Haley will speak at RNC
According to Associated Press, Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley will speak Tuesday at the Republican National Convention in what will be a highly anticipated speech by former President Donald Trump’s last major challenger in this year’s GOP primary.
The convention will begin tomorrow (Monday) as previously planned.
Haley, who was also elected twice as South Carolina governor, initially was not among the list of speakers but has since been added to the schedule, according to Haley spokesperson Chaney Denton.
The schedule change was confirmed by a Republican official who is familiar with the convention plans but was not authorized to speak publicly.
More on attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump from Fox News:
A local police officer engaged the gunman who attempted to assassinate former President Trump on Saturday, according to the Associated Press.
The Associated Press reported on Sunday afternoon that a local officer climbed up to the roof of the structure where Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was stationed. The officer reportedly engaged Crooks, who pointed his rifle at him.
When the officer retreated and Crooks fired shots at Trump, Secret Service agents shot Crooks, according to the report. The Associated Press reported that an official shared the details on the condition of anonymity.
Fox News Digital asked the Pennsylvania State Police about the report, but the agency is unable to confirm the details amid the investigation.
The suspected shooter at former President Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania Saturday was reportedly on his high school’s rifle team.
Fox News spoke with Jacob Kohler, 21, who talked about shooting suspect Thomas Matthew Crooks.
Kohler described Crooks as an “outcast” who was always alone and “bullied every day.” He said Crooks was on the rifle team with his brother.
The FBI says the shooting suspect used an AR-style 5.56 rifle, purchased legally. The weapon was located at the scene, adjacent to the shooting suspect who was killed by U.S. Secret Service members shortly after he fired upon Trump.
A deadly shooting at a rally for former President Trump is being investigating as a potential terrorism act, the FBI confirmed Sunday.
Kevin Rojek, special FBI agent in charge in Pittsburgh, said the information received by the FBI indicates that the shooter acted alone. The FBI has not confirmed a motive of the shooter.
Rojek confirmed that the gun use in Saturday’s shooting was an AR style 5.56 rifle, purchased legally and located at the scene adjacent to the shooter.
“Our number one goal here is to identify the motive of the subject and determine whether, he had any other associates or anyone else that was involved at this point. The investigation, it appears that he was a lone actor, but we still have more investigation to go,” Rojek said. “We are investigating this as a as an assassination attempt, but also looking at it a potential a domestic terrorism act.”
Rojek said there were no indications that the shooter had any mental health issues or any other red flags on his social media account.
At this time technical specialists are investigating all digital evidence and media as well as the suspect’s social media accounts. Lab services are processing DNA evidence as well as the shooter’s weapon.
Rojek said the FBI has several items of evidence that are being transported to the FBI lab at Quantico, Virginia for processing and exploitation, including the shooter’s weapon and phone.
Investigators are processing DNA evidence collected after the suspected gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was killed, as well as the weapon used in the attack and his cell phone, authorities said.
The weapon, an “AR-style .556 rifle” purchased legally, was found near the shooter at the scene, Kevin Rojek, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, told reporters during an audio call with reporters.
The weapon was purchased by Crooks’ father but it was unclear how he gained access to it, the FBI said, noting that there was no indication the rifle was a so-called “straw purchase.”
During the search of Crooks’ vehicle, authorities found a “suspicious device” but it was rendered safe but was being analyzed further. Details about the device were not disclosed.
Investigators were also “urgently working” to gain access to the suspect’s cell phone.
Investigators haven’t determined a motive for the shooting but said there were no indications that Crooks had been treated for any mental health issues. His family is cooperating with the FBI.
The full force of the FBI is being utilized in the investigation into the attempted assassination of former President Trump, FBI Director Christopher Wray said.
“The shooter may be deceased but the investigation is ongoing,” Wray said. “What we witnessed yesterday was nothing short of an attack on democracy and our democratic process. An attempt to assassinate a presidential candidate can only be described as absolutely despicable and will not be tolerated in this country.”
As of Sunday, the FBI has received more than 2,000 tips related to their investigation.
President Biden Makes Comment on attempted assassination on Former President Donald Trump at Pennsylvania Rally
President Joe Biden urged people not to “make assumptions” about the Trump rally shooter’s “motives or affiliations” in remarks Sunday afternoon.
“We don’t yet have any information about the motive of the shooter,” Biden told reporters. “We know who he is. I urge everyone, everyone, please don’t make assumptions about his motives or his affiliations. Let the FBI do their job, and their partner agencies do their job.”
The remarks come after Biden was briefed by the FBI, Homeland Security, and the National Security Agency on Sunday. Biden said he instructed the Secret Service to thoroughly examine all of the Republican National Convention’s security measures ahead of its Monday kickoff. Former President Trump is scheduled to address delegates on Thursday evening — the last day of the convention — when he will officially be nominated as the Republican Party’s candidate to face off against Biden in the 2024 election.
“I directed an independent review of the national security at yesterday’s rally to assess exactly what happened and we’ll share the results of that independent review with the American people as well,” Biden said. “And finally, I’ll be speaking more about this tonight at greater length from the Oval Office. We must unite as one nation. We must unite as one nation to demonstrate who we are. So, may God bless you all and may God protect our troops.”
Biden did not take any questions from reporters following the update.
The Hamblen County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for help in finding a missing man. Authorities say 32 year old Bobby Joe Isaac Hipsher was last seen in March.
He’s six-feet-five-inches tall and 191 pounds with brown eyes and hair, which could be dyed blonde. Hipsher also reportedly has a birth mark on his left hand. If you have any information as to the whereabouts of Hipsher, you are asked to call 423-621-9089 or the HCSO at 423-586-3781.
Rural Metro Fire is investigating a three alarm fire in North Knox County.
Crews were called to a structure fire Saturday morning in the 9300 block of Pedigo Road and found a “huge structure fully engulfed in flames on one end.”
Officials say there were multiple challenges while battling the blaze, including intense heat and humidity and the closest hydrant being 900 feet from the home.
All residents of the home were safely outside when crews arrived on the scene, and no firefighters were injured.
The family is being assisted by the American Red Cross.
