On Saturday, July 13th, former US President and Republican candidate Donald Trump was shot during an election rally in Pennsylvania. The attempt on his life was captured on camera and carried out by Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old man from Bethel Park.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has stated that the motive for the attack remains unconfirmed, and the investigation is ongoing. Following the attack, Crooks was neutralized by snipers deployed to protect the ex-President.
Shooting just happened at The Trump rally pic.twitter.com/Xs1dVL1H3T
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 13, 2024
Armed with an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle, Crooks had positioned himself on the roof of a manufacturing plant approximately 200 feet from the rally venue. Public court records indicate that he had no prior criminal history.
According to Pennsylvania voter status records, Crooks was registered as a Republican, the same party as Donald Trump. However, he had previously donated money through ‘ActBlue’, a Democratic party donation platform, to the liberal group ‘Progressive Turnout Project’. The donation was made on January 20, 2021, the day Joe Biden was inaugurated as President of the United States. At the time, Crooks was 17 years old.
Social media has revealed that Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022. A video of his graduation ceremony, where he was seen wearing spectacles and a black gown, is available on YouTube. In the same year, he received $500 from the National Math & Science Initiative.
20 year old Thomas Matthew Crooks registered as a Republican. Non-zero chance that this guy was an unhinged groyper pic.twitter.com/6SuJV3K3Dx
— Drew Pavlou 🇦🇺🇺🇦🇹🇼 (@DrewPavlou) July 14, 2024
The reasons behind Crooks’ radicalization over the past two years remain unknown. Attempts to locate his social media profiles have been unsuccessful.
The attack resulted in the death of a Trump supporter and critically injured two others. Donald Trump sustained injuries and was seen bleeding from his ears as a bullet narrowly missed him.
🔥🚨BREAKING NEWS: Thomas Crooks, the man who tried to kill Donald Trump donated to Joe Biden on Inauguration Day. pic.twitter.com/mwbKvsugAy
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) July 14, 2024
The assassination attempt has been condemned by world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Disclaimer: This is a developing story. Updates will be provided as the investigation unfolds.
