The largest money manager on Earth, BlackRock Incorporated, has reportedly pulled an advertisement that briefly featured Donald Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks , 20, who appeared to be an innocent teen.
Crooks was a student at Bethel Park High School and appeared in the commercial in 2022 with other unpaid high schoolers, according to the company.
“In 2022, we ran an ad featuring a teacher from Bethel Park High School, in which several unpaid students briefly appeared in the background, including Thomas Matthew Crooks,” BlackRock said in a statement to Reuters this week, adding that the ad will no longer run.
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The 30-second TV ad depicts a teacher giving a lesson in AP and Honors Economics class, a subject the would-be Trump shooter actually studied. The 20-year-old, who is now dead after he was killed by Secret Service agents, reportedly graduated from high school the same year the commercial aired.
He was one of 12 students to earn National Math & Science Initiative Star Awards, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The ad won't air on TV again but company spokesman noted it will be available to investigators for their inquiry-as well as being available on social media.
BlackRock wasted no time making clear its stance on Saturday's shooting against the presumptive presidential nominee, which killed one and critically injured two others. “ The assassination attempt on former President Trump is abhorrent,” the company said.
“We’re thankful former President Trump wasn’t seriously injured, and thinking about all the innocent bystanders and victims of this awful act, especially the person who was killed.” The company is said to be releasing its second quarter earnings Monday.
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The money manager, which is said to oversee an estimated $9.1 trillion in assets, has run into trouble regarding US shootings in the past as of its index funds are shareholders in gun manufacturer stocks
The Secret Service, facing harsh scrutiny over last weekend's incident, said no motive has been determined at this time. Reports uncovered that Crooks was registered as a Republican but apparently donated to a Democratic voter turnout organization.
Republicans and other supporters of Trump have pointed the finger at the Secret Service who they claim for last weekend's massive "security breach." The fact that Crooks was able to climb onto a roof about 200 yards from where the former president was speaking has raised alarms within the GOP and fueled conspiracy theories that it was an inside job.
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