⭐Shooter Identified in Attempted Assassination of Trump

The man identified as the shooter in the apparent assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump was a 20-year-old from a Pittsburgh suburb, not far from the campaign rally where one attendee was killed. Investigators are working to gather more information about Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, who they say opened fire at the rally before being killed by Secret Service. The incident occurred days before Mr. Trump was to accept the Republican nomination for a third time.

⭐Investigation and Motive

An FBI official said late Saturday that investigators had not yet determined a motive. Two spectators were critically injured, authorities said. Relatives of Crooks didn’t immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press. His father, Matthew Crooks, told CNN late Saturday that he was trying to figure out “what the hell is going on” but wouldn’t speak about his son until after he talked to law enforcement. A blockade had been set up Sunday, preventing traffic near Crooks’ house, which is in an enclave of modest brick houses nestled in the hills of blue-collar Pittsburgh.

⭐Political Leanings and Background

Crooks’ political leanings were not immediately clear. Records show he was registered as a Republican voter in Pennsylvania, but federal campaign finance reports also show he gave $15 to a progressive political action committee on January 20, 2021, the day President Joe Biden was sworn into office. Public Pennsylvania court records show no past criminal cases against Crooks. The FBI released his identity early Sunday morning, hours after the shooting. Authorities told reporters that Crooks was not carrying identification, so they used DNA and other methods to confirm his identity.

⭐Community and Law Enforcement Response

Thomas Crooks graduated in 2022 from Bethel Park High School, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He received a $500 “star award” from the National Math and Science Initiative, according to the newspaper. A 2022 graduation ceremony video cited by the New York Times shows Crooks receiving his high school diploma to some applause. Law enforcement officials said on Saturday that Crooks carried no identification to the site of the shooting and had to be identified using other methods. USA Today reported that dozens of law enforcement vehicles were stationed outside a residence listed at the address on Crooks’ voter registration record, with agents from various federal agencies on the scene. “It’s insanity that anyone would do this,” said Dan Maloney, a 30-year-old resident from the area, quoted by USA Today.


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