The FBI has confirmed that the gunman involved in the attack against former President Donald Trump on Saturday, July 13, was a 20-year-old Pennsylvania man. He was shot and killed by Secret Service agents on the spot.
In a statement released by the FBI early Sunday morning, the gunman was identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a resident of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The town is located approximately 35 miles south of Butler, where the incident took place.
The shooting incident resulted in the death of one participant and injury to two others, including Trump who sustained injuries to his right ear and was taken to a hospital in Pennsylvania for treatment.
Law enforcement officials stated that the gunman fired shots at Trump from the rooftop of a building near the security perimeter of the rally, before being shot and killed by Secret Service agents. An AR-type rifle was found at the scene.
The gunman did not have any identification on him, and agents used DNA testing and biometric confirmation to establish his identity.
The motive behind the gunman’s actions remains unclear. FBI officials noted that the gunman did not have a criminal record in public court records in Pennsylvania.
Matthew Crooks, the father of the gunman, stated in an interview with CNN late Saturday night that he was trying to understand the situation and would wait to speak about his son until he had spoken with law enforcement.
According to state voter records, the gunman was a registered Republican. Records indicate that he registered as a Republican voter with the American Republican Party in September 2021 when he turned 18 years old.
However, Federal Election Commission records show that in January 2021, the gunman made a $15 donation through the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue to the Progressive Turnout Project, a liberal voter turnout organization.