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Trump's shooter identified: who was he 
Attempted assassination of former President Trump

Trump's shooter identified: who was he 

Jul 14, 2024
10:21 am

What's the story

The man who attempted to assassinate former United States President Donald Trump at an open-air campaign event in Pennsylvania on Saturday has been identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, the New York Post reported, citing sources. Crooks, a resident of Bethel Park, had positioned himself on the roof of a manufacturing plant more than 130 yards away from the stage, where Trump was delivering a speech, and fired multiple shots. One of the bullets grazed Trump in the ear.

Shooter's position

Details emerge on crooks' position during Trump rally

The shooter was quickly neutralized by Secret Service snipers, who returned fire from a nearby building's rooftop. An AR-style rifle was later recovered from the scene by authorities. According to the New York Post, the building where the sniper's body was recovered is part of AGR International, Inc., a supplier of automation equipment for the glass and plastic packaging sector.

Investigation ongoing

Motive behind crooks' attack remains unclear

At present, the motive behind the attack on the presumptive Republican presidential nominee remains unclear. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which is leading the investigation into the shooting, called it an assassination attempt but was not prepared to release the identity of the shooter. The incident was the most serious assassination attempt on a president or presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan was shot at by a gunman in 1981, which left him seriously wounded.

Twitter Post

Moment bullet grazed Trump's ear

Speech

Trump had just started his speech

Trump had just begun his speech when the gunfire rang out. Visuals from the scene show him grasping his right ear with his right hand, then lowering his hand to examine it before sinking to his knees behind the podium when Secret Service members surrounded and covered him. He rose about a minute later and could be heard saying "wait, wait," before raising his fist in a show of defiance as agents hustled him into a black SUV.