Trump assassination attempt: Who is the 20-year-old suspect?
Bomb-making materials found in suspect's vehicle, home
In a critical security lapse, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Pennsylvania has been identified as the shooter in an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. The attack resulted in injuries to Trump, the death of one audience member, and left two others critically wounded.
Crooks, who resided 43 miles away from the Butler Farm Show grounds where the rally was held, managed to exploit a security gap and open fire from an elevated position using a rifle. The attack during what was supposed to be a highly secure event has shocked the community.
On Sunday morning, the FBI confirmed the shooter's identity: "The FBI has identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the subject involved in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on July 13, in Butler, Pennsylvania. This remains an active and ongoing investigation, and anyone with information that may assist with the investigation is encouraged to submit photos or videos online at FBI.gov/butler or call 1-800-CALL-FBI."
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Authorities also found explosive devices in Crooks' vehicle that was parked near the rally on Saturday, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. This news was followed by an Associated Press report that bomb-making materials were also found at the suspect's home.
Crooks had no previous criminal history, according to Pennsylvania’s public court records, The New York Times reported.
His background reveals a mixed political profile. Although registered as a Republican, federal campaign-finance records show he made a $15 donation to the Progressive Turnout Project through the Democratic donation platform ActBlue in January 2021, according to the Times.
One audience member interviewed by the BBC on Saturday said he and several others repeatedly told the Secret Service and police about seeing the shooter stationed on top of the roof of a building minutes before the suspect began shooting.
The head of the Secret Service and the leader of this security detail should resign https://t.co/ihlEC5NP1w
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 14, 2024
Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022, and his high school accolades include a $500 “star award” from the National Math and Science Initiative, according to The Tribune-Review in western Pennsylvania.
The assassination attempt is historic, comparable only to the 1912 attempt on former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, retired secret service agent Donald Mihalek told the Journal.
The event’s immediate aftermath saw a rush by law enforcement to secure and investigate the suspect’s family home in Bethel Park, shutting down nearby roads and seeking insights from relatives and acquaintances, who have yet to comment.
The circumstances of the shooting, including Crooks firing from an “elevated position” outside the outdoor rally venue, and the recovery of an AR-15-type rifle near his body, reflect the planning involved in this act. The rifle was legally purchased by his father, the Journal reported, adding that authorities were interviewing the suspect's family and searching his home.
Law enforcement is still piecing together how Crooks accessed the rally site and managed to carry out the shooting despite the expected tight security.
Former President Trump was quickly secured by Secret Service agents after a pierced his right ear, causing visible bleeding. He was hospitalized and released from the hospital late Saturday night and subsequently traveled to his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. He was seen exiting his plane at 12:37 a.m. ET in a video posted on X by his campaign.
Trump authorized a GoFundMe page for the victims, organized by Meredith O’Rourke, the national finance director for his 2024 election campaign.
“President Donald Trump has authorized this account as a place for donations to the supporters and families wounded or killed in today’s brutal and horrific assassination attempt. All donations will be directed to these proud Americans as they grieve and recover. May God bless and unite our nation,” says the page.
Hours after the assassination attempt on his political opponent's life, President Joe Biden addressed the nation in a 2-minute statement and condemned the violence but stopped short of calling it an assassination attempt. “There’s no place in America for this kind of violence,” he said. "Everyone must condemn it."
