The FBI has identified the individual suspected of attempting to assassinate former president Donald Trump at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania is believed to be the person who shot Trump and several rally attendees, the FBI confirmed. One rally-goer was killed in the shooting and two others are in critical condition.
“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,” the FBI said in a statement. The New York Post first identified the shooter behind the attack.
Law enforcement has not attributed a motive to the shooter, but has declared the incident an assassination attempt. The suspect appears to be a registered Republican who once donated to a Democratic-aligned progressive group. Bethel Park, Pennsylvania is a Pittsburgh suburb roughly 40 miles south of where the Trump rally took place.
Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022 along with a $500 Star Award from the National Math and Science Initiative, according to the Tribune-Review.
When the shooting took place, Trump was speaking on stage surrounded by supporters. A bullet grazed Trump’s ear, causing him to fall to the ground as blood streamed down his face. Instantaneously, Secret Service agents on scene ran on stage to protect Trump, help him to his feet, and escort him off the stage so he could be taken to hospital for treatment.
As he was leaving the stage, Trump pumped his fist and chanted “fight,” a moment that immediately became an iconic representation of his political career and personal charisma. Trump’s campaign later shared a video of him walking down the steps of his personal airplane after it landed in New Jersey. Trump was walking without issue and seemed to be in good spirits.
“I want to thank The United States Secret Service, and all of Law Enforcement, for their rapid response on the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania. Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the Rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured,” Trump said on Truth Social.
“I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin,” he added.
The FBI is leading the investigation alongside federal, state, and local law enforcement into the assassination attempt against the former president.
“The FBI has assumed the role of the lead federal law enforcement agency in the investigation of the incident involving former President Donald Trump that occurred earlier today in Butler, Pennsylvania. Special agents of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office responded immediately, to include crisis response team members and evidence response technicians,” the FBI said in a statement Saturday night.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement the FBI ATF, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and the Justice Department’s national security division are working with Secret Service and state and local law enforcement partners on the ground.
President Joe Biden and scores of other political leaders quickly condemned the shooting and expressed sympathies for Trump and his family. Biden and other top national security officials have been briefed on the situation.
The shooter appears to have been situated on the roof of a nearby tower and used a rifle to carry out the attack before being killed by law enforcement. Multiple witnesses at the Trump rally said they noticed a man holding a rifle on top of a building next to the rally, and some said they alerted police to the situation. The FBI is asking the public to help with its search and created a webpage for submitting tips.
House Republicans have promised to investigate the assassination attempt against Trump to the fullest extent, and Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R., Ky.) is requesting testimony from Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle on July 22.
The assassination attempt is already considered to be one of the most significant intelligence and law enforcement failures in American history.