What we know about the shooter behind Trump assassination attempt (2024)

A 20-year-old man from Pennsylvania has been identified as the suspect who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump at a political rally in the United States, law enforcement officials said.

Thomas Matthew Crooks has been named as the "subject involved" in the incident, the FBI said in a statement.

Crooks, who was killed by Secret Service snipers at the scene, was from Bethel Park, close to where the rally was held on Saturday local time.

What we know about the shooter behind Trump assassination attempt (1)

Bethel Park School District confirmed in a statement that Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022.

This is what we know so far about the suspect and how the shooting played out.

What do we know about the shooter?

Mr Trump was injured when multiple shots were fired at the stage, but the former president's campaign says he is doing "fine".

One attendee was killed and two critically injured in the incident, according to authorities.

Crooks had not been attending the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

He is suspected of carrying out the attack from a rooftop on a building outside the event.

Witnesses said they alerted police to a gunman on the roof of the building, which was about 120 metres away from the stage where Mr Trump began giving an address at around 6:02pm (8:02am Sunday AEST).

They spotted the suspected shooter several minutes before shots rung out and Mr Trump fell to the ground, rising moments later with blood streaming down his face.

What we know about the shooter behind Trump assassination attempt (2)

So far, the FBI has only released Crooks's name, age and where he lived.

They earlier said the gunman was not carrying identification, so they analysed his DNA to provide a biometric confirmation of his identity.

Bethel Park, where Crooks lived, is about an hour south of Butler.

The Federal Aviation Administration said on Sunday that the airspace over the Bethel Park was closed "effective immediately" for special security reasons.

Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022, according to a statement from the Bethel Park School District.

"Our school district will cooperate fully with the active law enforcement investigation surrounding this case, and as such, we are limited in what we can publicly disclose," the statement read.

"The school district wishes to express its sincere wishes for a speedy and complete recovery for Mr. Trump and those in attendance at the Saturday event who may have been physically harmed or emotionally impacted by these tragic events."

He received a $US500 ($740) "star award" from the National Maths and Science Initiative, according to a local media report.

State voter records show that Crooks was a registered Republican and the upcoming election would have been the first time he was old enough to vote.

When Crooks was 17 he made a $US15 donation to ActBlue, a political action committee that raises money for left-leaning and Democratic politicians, according to a 2021 Federal Election Commission filing.

The donation was earmarked for the Progressive Turnout Project, a national group that rallies Democrats to vote. The groups did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Crooks's father, Matthew Crooks, 53, told CNN that he was trying to figure out what happened and would wait until he spoke to law enforcement before speaking about his son.

What weapon was involved?

Two officials spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, saying an AR-style rifle was recovered at the scene.

AR-style rifles are common in mass shootings in the US, said Professor David Smith from the United States Studies Centre.

They are affordable, lightweight and semi-automatic, meaning they can fire multiple rounds quickly.

Mr Trump was discussing border crossing numbers when the shots, at least five, were fired.

He released a statement on his Truth Social platform describing the moment he was struck.

"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 wrote.

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Up to a dozen of the deadliest mass shootings in the US since 2006 have involved an AR-15.

Semi-automatic rifles such as the AR-15 have been banned in the past, but are currently widely available in most states.

President Joe Biden has been calling to reinstate a nationwide ban that expired in 2004.

"One of my fears is that even though most of the major assassination attempts of the 20th century actually led to significant advances in gun control, this one will not," Professor Smith told ABC News channel.

"This doesn't seem like a moment where Americans are going to ask themselves whether things have gone too far with this violence.

"Instead, this seems more like a moment that is going to accelerate the current polarisation."

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Possible motives?

The FBI, which is leading the investigation, told reporters that it's too early to say whether the shooter acted alone and have not provided a motive.

But police do not believe there is "any other existing threat out there".

The FBI is calling for people with video of the event or information to share it with authorities.

What we know about the shooter behind Trump assassination attempt (3)

Professor Claire Finkelstein from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, said we are likely to learn more about possible motives in the coming days.

She noted there has been an increase in political violence.

"We have seen an increase in violent rhetoric around political events of all sorts, and political cause," Professor Finkelstein told ABC News.

"And the irony is, of course, that Trump himself has fomented some of this violent rhetoric.

"I think this is a lesson to all of us about how dangerous it is for politicians to increase the violent rhetoric around their campaigns and around their causes."

What we know about the shooter behind Trump assassination attempt (4)

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle have briefed President Joe Biden.

They are working with law enforcement partners to respond to and investigate the shooting, Mr Mayorkas said on X.

Republican US House Speaker Mike Johnson also said the House will conduct a full investigation of the attack on Trump's campaign rally.

"The American people deserve to know the truth," Mr Johnson said.

"We will have Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and other appropriate officials from DHS and the FBI appear for a hearing before our committees ASAP."

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What we know about the shooter behind Trump assassination attempt (2024)
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