A 20-year-old gunman opened fire on former President Donald Trump on Saturday, in the worst attempted assassination of a presidential candidate since 1981.
Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was identified by the FBI as the shooter after the shocking incident that took place at a gathering in Butler.
Federal campaign finance records have since revealed that the shooter was a registered Republican who had previously made a $15 donation to the liberal political action committee ActBlue on Jan. 20, 2021, the day of Biden’s inauguration.
Officials have not released any additional information about the shooter.
“This is still an ongoing investigation,” the FBI said in a statement Sunday morning.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was identified by the FBI as the gunman in the attempted assassination of Donald Trump on Saturday night. He was later shot and killed by the Secret Service
Donald Trump addressed a cheering crowd at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, before he was shot in the ear
Secret Service swarmed him and led the former president away as he was seen with blood streaming down his face
Trump emerged from the cover of the suited officers and raised a fist, shouting, “Fight, fight, fight” before being taken to the hospital
According to public court records from Pennsylvania, Crooks had no criminal history, and authorities say they are still trying to determine the motive behind the shooting.
Crooks appeared to have graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022 and received a $500 “star award” from the National Math and Science Initiative that year, according to a report by The Tribune review in western Pennsylvania.
In an online recording of the 2022 graduation ceremony, he can be seen walking across the stage as the crowd cheers him on, then posing briefly with a school official and accepting his diploma.
His father, Matthew Crooks, told CNN late Saturday night that he was trying to figure out “what the heck is going on” but that he would “wait until I talk to the police” before talking about his son.
On Saturday, Crooks opened fire from a rooftop 400 feet from where Trump took the stage to address thousands of fans in Butler at 6:15 p.m.
Footage from that moment shows Trump suddenly grabbing his ear as blood streams down his face after at least eight shots were fired in his direction.
The crowd began to scream and flee as Secret Service agents gathered around the wounded former president.
But in a show of strength, Trump emerged from the cover of suited officers, raised his fist and shouted, “Fight, fight, fight,” before being led away from the chaotic scenes and taken to hospital.
Crooks had killed one member of the mob and seriously wounded two others before he was shot by the Secret Service.
According to the Secret Service, the gunman was killed after firing from an “elevated position” outside the outdoor event grounds.
Footage shows at least four police officers surrounding the bloodied gunman and the semi-automatic AR-15 rifle he was using on the roof, pointing their weapons at his body.
After the shocking incident, Trump was seen walking down the stairs of his plane, Trump Force One, in Newark, New Jersey, hours later.
His deputy communications director Margo Martin posted the video on X, formerly Twitter, with the message: “Strong and resilient.”
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump is helped off the stage by U.S. Secret Service agents during a campaign rally in Butler
The former US president was seen with blood on his right ear as he was surrounded by security guards, who pushed him off the stage as he performed his first dance move to the crowd
Snippers stand on a roof at Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Butler
As the former president steps off the plane, Secret Service agents appear to be standing in front of and behind him.
“He will never stop fighting for America,” wrote Margo Martin.
Current President Joe Biden also condemned the assassination attempt after the attack. It has now been confirmed that he spoke to Trump after the shooting.
“I have been made aware of the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania,” he wrote in a message.
“I am grateful to hear that he is safe and doing well. I am praying for him and his family and everyone who was at the rally as we wait for more information.”
“Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for keeping him safe. There is no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.”
Several other world leaders followed suit.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “appalled” by the “shocking scenes” and that political violence “has no place in our societies”.
Barack Obama, who served as president before Trump in 2016, said “we should all be relieved” that he was not seriously injured.
And former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson added: “It is a miracle that Donald Trump escaped an assassination attempt.”
Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, also shared a message expressing her appreciation for her father and the other victims of the “senseless violence.”
She wrote the following about X: ‘I am grateful to the Secret Service and all other law enforcement officials for their swift and decisive action today.
“I will continue to pray for our country. I love you, Dad, today and always.”
For the first time since the assassination attempt, Trump spoke out, thanking law enforcement and the Secret Service for their “quick response.”
He added: ‘Most importantly, I would like to express my condolences to the family of the person who died at the demonstration, and also to the family of another person who was seriously injured.
“It’s unbelievable that something like this can happen in our country.”
