The gunman who tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler on July 13 has been identified by the FBI as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park. Both locations are in Pennsylvania.
But officials did not release any further information about the suspect. The FBI said in a statement early on July 14 that the investigation is ongoing.
The gunman had no criminal history, according to Pennsylvania public court records. Officials said they have not yet determined a motive.
Voter registration records show Crooks is registered as a Republican, and federal campaign finance records show he donated $15 to a liberal group through the Democratic Party donation platform ActBlue in January 2021.
The 2024 US presidential election will likely be the first election Crooks is old enough to vote in.
Early on July 14, law enforcement officers blocked off all roads leading to the suspect’s family home in Bethel Park, south of Pittsburgh and about an hour’s drive from Mr. Trump’s rally in Butler. Several relatives did not respond to messages seeking comment from The New York Times.
Crooks was killed after opening fire from an "elevated position" outside the rally where Mr Trump was speaking, according to the Secret Service.
Authorities recovered an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle near the body of a white man they believe to be the gunman, two law enforcement officials said.
According to CNN's analysis of the geographical location of Mr. Trump and the suspect, the suspect was about 120-150 meters away from Mr. Trump when the shooting occurred. Graphics: Al Jazeera
The suspect who shot and injured former President Trump has been killed. Photo: Daily Mail
Crooks appears to have graduated in 2022 from Bethel Park High School, which has about 1,400 students, and received a $500 “star award” that year from the National Science and Mathematics Initiative, according to The Tribune-Review in western Pennsylvania.
In an online recording of the 2022 graduation ceremony, Crooks can be seen crossing the stage to modest applause after his name is announced. A slim, bespectacled young man in a black graduation suit then quickly poses for a photo with a school official and receives his diploma.
Full scene of the shooting that injured Mr. Trump
At around 6:15 p.m. on July 13, multiple shots were fired toward the stage during former President Donald Trump's campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, killing one audience member and seriously injuring two others.
Mr Trump was taken off stage with blood around his right ear. The former president later said in a post on the social media site Truth Social that he had been “shot in the upper part of my right ear by a bullet”.
Mr Trump was taken to hospital and the Secret Service said he was "safe".
“Tonight we witnessed the assassination of our former President, Donald Trump,” Kevin Rojek, a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said at a news conference at the Butler Police Department. An analysis by The New York Times suggests the gunman fired eight shots.
The Secret Service said its agents killed the shooter but did not say how.
In a statement, the FBI identified the suspect as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. Authorities said they are still trying to determine the suspect's motive. It is also unclear whether Crooks had any accomplices.
Trump's reaction and condition
Mr Trump quickly ducked after the shooting began and as members of the crowd began shouting. Secret Service agents then escorted Mr Trump off the stage. As he was escorted to his motorcade, Mr Trump, whose face and right ear were covered in blood, raised his fist in a defiant gesture.
In his social media post, Mr Trump wrote: "I knew right away something was wrong when I heard the whistling, gunshot and immediately felt the bullet tear through my skin. There was a lot of blood so I realized what was happening."
Mr Trump was taken to hospital, but there was no immediate statement from medical staff about the former president's injuries or condition.
On the evening of July 13, an aide to the former President posted a video on social media showing him walking off the plane without assistance after landing in New Jersey. His injured ear was hidden from the camera.
The Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee said the former president will still attend the Republican Convention in Milwaukee, which is scheduled to begin on July 15.
Scene of the shooting targeting Mr. Trump
The shooting occurred as Mr. Trump was holding a large outdoor rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, a town of 13,000 people about 34 miles (55 km) north of Pittsburgh.
Mr. Trump had just shown his supporters a graph of the number of immigrants at border crossings, just minutes into his speech, when gunshots rang out.
Attendees shouted, "Get down, get down!" and "Someone's been shot!" The Secret Service quickly cleared the press area, moved the crowd out, and declared the area a crime scene.
The Secret Service said the suspect opened fire “from an elevated position outside the rally site.” According to CNN’s analysis of the location of Trump and the suspect, the suspect was approximately 400 to 500 feet away from Trump when he opened fire.
An AR-15 semi-automatic rifle suspected to be the murder weapon was recovered, according to two law enforcement officials.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is conducting urgent surveillance of this type of weapon using the national gun sales database.
Butler County Sheriff Michael T. Slupe said the dead spectator was an adult male who was likely attending the rally with his family.
Chief Slupe said the man was in the stands when he was shot and police believe he died at the scene.
Two people with serious injuries were airlifted to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, hospital officials said. Authorities did not immediately release further information about the injuries of the two spectators.
A series of photos of Mr. Trump's "attempted assassination" while campaigning in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. Photo: AP + AFP
Minh Duc (According to NY Times, Al Jazeera)
Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/toan-canh-vu-ong-trump-bi-ban-nghi-pham-moi-tot-nghiep-trung-hoc-duoc-2-nam-204240714154526483.htm
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