July 14: Authorities have identified the gunman in Saturday’s attack on former US President Donald Trump as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. The Secret Service killed Crooks at the scene after he fired on Trump from a nearby rooftop outside the rally’s security perimeter in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The FBI released a statement early Sunday morning, naming Crooks, a resident of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, located about 35 miles south of Butler. Witnesses described the rally as chaotic and bloody, with attendees trying to help those hit by gunfire amid the dense crowd.
The attack resulted in one rally attendee’s death and left two others in critical condition. Trump was injured, stating on social media that he had been hit by a bullet in the upper part of his ear, but his campaign confirmed he was otherwise fine. Trump returned to Newark, New Jersey, late Saturday night.
The ongoing investigation involves multiple federal and state agencies, with the FBI urging the public to submit any information, photos, or videos related to the shooting through a tip line or the agency’s website.
Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022. He was a registered Republican voter and would have been eligible to vote in this year’s presidential election. Federal Election Commission records indicate that a Thomas Crooks from the same address donated $15 to the Democratic-aligned Progressive Turnout Project in January 2021.
Crooks’ father, Matthew Crooks, when contacted, said he was trying to understand the situation and would wait to speak with law enforcement before making any further comments.
Without identification on his body, agents had to use DNA and biometric confirmation to identify Crooks, according to Kevin Rojek, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office.
