On Saturday, a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania turned deadly when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks allegedly attempted to assassinate former US president Donald Trump.
The Secret Service shot and killed Crooks seconds after he allegedly fired shots towards the stage. The attack resulted in the death of one rally attendee, critically injured two others, and Trump himself sustained a gunshot wound to the ear.
The FBI identified the suspect as Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, a town approximately an hour from the incident site. Crooks was a registered Republican and would have been eligible to vote in a presidential election for the first time in the upcoming November 5 election.
Crooks has a complicated political footprint. Despite being a registered Republican, records show that at 17, he made a $15 donation to ActBlue, a political action committee supporting Democratic causes. This contribution was designated for the Progressive Turnout Project, which encourages Democratic voter turnout.
Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022, where he received a $500 "star award" from the National Math and Science Initiative. A graduation ceremony video from that year, cited by the New York Times, shows him receiving his diploma and posing with a school official, though Reuters has not verified the video's authenticity.
Thomas Crooks' father, Matthew Crooks, 53, told CNN that he was trying to understand the situation and would wait to speak with law enforcement before commenting further about his son. The local community has reacted with disbelief, with residents describing the event as "insanity."
The FBI and other law enforcement agencies are investigating to find a motive. Thomas Crooks carried no identification at the scene, necessitating identification through photographs, DNA, and biometric data.
Law enforcement presence has been significant at Crooks' listed residence in Bethel Park. The FBI, ATF, and local police have been on site, with a bomb squad deployed as a precaution. The Federal Aviation Administration also closed the airspace over Bethel Park for "special security reasons."
