According to TOI, The FBI has identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Pennsylvania as the shooter in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. It was also reported that the shooter was a registered Republican.
Incident Details
Local prosecutor Richard Goldinger stated that the assailant was positioned on the rooftop of a manufacturing facility, more than 130 yards away from the stage where Trump was speaking. The open-air setting at the Butler Farm Show grounds provided the gunman a clear line of sight to his target.
Who was Thomas Crooks?
Thomas Crooks, a resident of Butler, lived approximately 60 minutes from the location of the shooting incident, according to a Reuters report. A Federal Election Commission filing from 2021 revealed that Crooks made a $15 contribution to ActBlue, a political action committee that fundraises for Democratic and left-leaning candidates, when he was 17 years old. The donation was designated for the Progressive Turnout Project, an organization that encourages Democrats to vote.
Matthew Crooks, 53, the father of Thomas Crooks, informed CNN that he was trying to understand the situation and would refrain from making any statements until after speaking with law enforcement authorities.
Thomas Crooks graduated in 2022 from Bethel Park High School, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The newspaper also reported that he was the recipient of a $500 “star award” from the National Math and Science Initiative. The New York Times referenced a 2022 graduation ceremony video that shows Crooks receiving his high school diploma amidst applause. An online video from the same ceremony depicts Crooks wearing glasses and a black graduation gown, posing alongside a school official.
Authorities said that Crooks was not carrying any identification when he arrived at the shooting site, necessitating the use of alternative methods to establish his identity.
Motive Remains Unknown
Kevin Rojek, the special agent in charge of the FBI Pittsburgh field office, stated that the shooter’s motive remains unknown. Rojek mentioned that the crime scene is still active, but there is no ongoing threat following the shooting.
“I don’t know how he would have gotten to the location where he was, but he was outside the grounds. And I think that’s something that we’re going to have to figure out how he got there,” said Goldinger. He confirmed that one rally attendee had died in the incident, while another was in serious condition at the hospital.
The US Secret Service reported that “multiple shots (were fired) toward the stage from an elevated position outside the rally venue,” resulting in the death of one spectator and critical injuries to two others. The shooter was also killed, although further details were not provided.
Trump, 78, was shot in the ear during his speech, causing blood to streak across his face. His security agents quickly surrounded him before he emerged and pumped his fist in the air, mouthing the words “Fight! Fight! Fight!” He later shared on his Truth Social platform, “I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. Much bleeding took place.”
The shooting occurred less than four months before the November 5 election, where Trump is set to face Democratic President Joe Biden in a rematch. Most opinion polls show the two candidates in a close contest.
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