Trump assassination shows:

Smartphone lock hardly an obstacle for police

Unlocking smartphones appears to pose few challenges for law enforcement agencies.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Kiattisak – stock.adobe.com, AP/Bethel Park School District)

Just two days after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, the FBI has succeeded in gaining "access" to the shooter's cell phone. Experts see the speed with which the device was unlocked as evidence of the increasing effectiveness of hacking tools.

Last Sunday, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation announced that officers in Pennsylvania, where Trump had been shot at a campaign event the day before, had unsuccessfully tried to crack the cell phone of shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was shot by Secret Service employees. The device was then sent to the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.

The FBI Laboratory, also known as the Laboratory Division, employs approximately 500 scientific experts and special agents who provide valuable forensic analysis assistance to the FBI and state and local law enforcement agencies. The laboratory enjoys the reputation of being the leading crime laboratory in the United States. Apparently rightly so: just two days after the assassination attempt, the police department announced that it had "gained access" to Crooks' cell phone.

Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks was shot by the Secret Service. The authorities hope that the analysis of his smartphone will shed light on his motive.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/AP/Gene J. Puskar)