Failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump at Pennsylvania rally
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced on Sunday that 20-year-old Pennsylvania resident Thomas Matthew Crooks is a "person of interest" in the failed assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump. The man died at the scene.
14 July 2024 08:44
In a special announcement, the FBI reported that they had identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as being involved in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
It added that the investigation is ongoing. "Anyone with information that may help the investigation is asked to send photos or videos," the FBI appeals.
Earlier, Kevin Rojek, an FBI special agent, said identifying the shooter is difficult because the suspect did not have an ID on him. Investigators assure that they are "working tirelessly" to determine the motive.
Weapon found near assailant's body
The shooter died at the scene. Secret Service representatives stated that an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, a frequent tool of perpetrators of massacres in the United States, was found next to the man's body.
Crooks was a Republican voter
The "Washington Post" reports, citing voter registration in the state, that Crooks was a Republican voter.
According to the Associated Press (AP), campaign finance reports show that on 20 January 2021, the day Joe Biden was inaugurated as US President, the man donated £12 to a political action committee (PAC) supporting the Democratic Party.
Failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump
On Saturday, during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, former US President Donald Trump was shot in the ear. Two people died in the attack, including the assailant, and two others were seriously injured. The Republican candidate's condition is good. Media reports indicate that Trump has already been discharged from the hospital where he was admitted after the shooting.
Trump posted an official statement online after the failed assassination attempt on his life. "I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear," he wrote on social media.