On Saturday at approximately 6:11 p.m., gunshots were fired in what was an attempted assassination of Former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Thomas Matthew Crooks was the apparent lone gunman that opened fire with an AR-15 rifle from a nearby rooftop, approximately 150 feet away from the target on stage, when eight shots rang out.
Trump survived after the first bullet pierced his ear and he went down as Secret Service members immediately jumped on top to further shield him.
Bullets continued to fly, injuring two audience members — James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, Pennsylvania and David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, Pennsylvania — and killing Corey Comperatore, 50, of Sarver, Pennsylvania
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The shooter, Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania was killed by a Secret Service counter sniper.
But investigators are still piecing the plot together to learn more about what and why it happened. Here is what we know so far:
Who is Thomas Matthew Crooks?
- He worked at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, where he passed a background check.
- He was a registered Republican, although he donated $15 to a Democratic-led organization, the Progressive Turnout Project, an ACT BLUE group, in 2021. .
- A suspicious device found in Crooks’ car is being analyzed at FBI crime lab.
- He had no prior criminal record.
- He graduated Bethel Park High School in 2022 and received National Math & Science Initiative Star Award
- Classmates say he was very smart, but he was bullied often.
- He was a member of the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, a sports shooting club.
- FBI has completed over 100 interviews with witnesses and acquaintances.
- He lived one hour away from the Butler Farm Show Grounds with his parents, both licensed social workers
- Law enforcement snipers spotted him before the shooting
- dozen guns were found at the family's home
- His father called police after noticing his AR rifle was missing, the call came in after the shooting started.
Why was Trump shot?
The Secret Service and law enforcement are under intense scrutiny over whether agents and police did enough to prevent the shooting and keep a high-profile politician from harm.
Investigators have not said what motivated Crooks to target Trump and there have been no discoveries of manifestos or postings about his beliefs and convictions.
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