Dubai: The Federal Bureau of Investigation has identified the gunman who shot at former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally Saturday as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.
The alleged shooter was killed by law enforcement officials after he fired an AR-15-type semiautomatic rifle, killing one spectator and wounding others.
The gunman, a kichen worker, had explosives in his car, US media reported. The Wall Street Journal and CNN said that explosive materials were found in a car belonging Crooks, which was reportedly parked near the campaign event venue in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Gun purchased by father
The shooter wasn't found with identification, Kevin Rojek of the FBI's Pittsburgh field office told reporters earlier, adding intelligence analysts were working on "any motives behind why this was done."
Crooks had explosive materials in his vehicle, which was parked near the rally site, according to a person familiar with the investigation. The Associated Press said he had bomb-making materials in the car and at his home, citing law enforcement officials.
The gun that Crooks used had been purchased by his father, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the investigation.
When reached by CNN late Saturday night, Crooks’ father, Matthew Crooks, said he was trying to figure out “what the hell is going on” but would “wait until I talk to law enforcement” before speaking about his son.
Trump attack
Trump was injured in a volley of gunfire at 6:15pm from an “elevated position” outside the rally’s venue, according to the US Secret Service, though his campaign has since said he is “fine.”
Trump said in a social media post that a bullet pierced the upper part of his right ear. He was checked at a local hospital before leaving the area under Secret Service protection and flying to New Jersey late Saturday night.
The gunman was armed with a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle, multiple law enforcement sources said. ATF is tracing the weapon. He opened fire from the roof of a shed outside of the cordoned-off rally area, about 400 feet from the stage, and was on top of a shed, sources were quoted by CBS news as saying.
The FBI said there is an “active and ongoing” investigation into the assassination attempt, and encouraged anyone with information to submit photos or videos to officials.
Motive unclear
Bethel Park is a town about an hour away from where the rally took place. Law-enforcement officers have closed down all roads leading toward the home of the suspect’s family, the New York Times reported.
His motive is still unclear. He didn’t have a criminal history and was registered as a Republican, public court and voter registration records show.
"We do not currently have an identified motive," said Kevin Rojek, FBI Pittsburgh special agent in charge, at a briefing late Saturday night.
A law enforcement official said early Sunday that there are no foreign terrorism ties known at this time and the suspect was not on the radar of law enforcement, although they are still running his name down.
Local newspaper The Tribune-Review said Crooks appears to have graduated in 2022 from Bethel Park High School and received a $500 “star award” that year from the National Math and Science Initiative.
This year’s presidential election would have been the first he was old enough to vote in.
Federal Election Commission records show that a donor listed as Thomas Crooks with the same address gave $15 to a Democratic-aligned political action committee called the Progressive Turnout Project in January 2021.
A witness claims he told officers that he saw a gunman moving “from roof to roof,” moments before the assassination attempt.
Ben Macer was along a fence line when he saw “the guy move from roof to roof. (I) told an officer (the alleged shooter) was on the roof,” according to CNN affiliate KDKA.
“When I turned around to go back to where I was, it was when the gunshots started, and then it was just chaos, and we all came running away, and that was that,” Macer told KDKA.
Local prosecutor surprised that shooter got so close
A prosecutor in the US county where Trump was injured said Sunday it was “surprising” that a shooter was able to position himself on a nearby rooftop before opening fire.
“That’s the most surprising thing to me, when we have a former president here, that a guy was able to get, as you say, 150 yards away, able to get up on a roof and be able to take a shot,” said Butler County district attorney Richard Goldinger.
He told MSNBC that “I do know we had some law enforcement in that building, which is even more surprising that he was able to get up there,” adding the unit was normally used by a glass manufacturing company.
Butler County police said they had responded to “a number of reports of suspicious activity,” after multiple witnesses said they saw the gunman before the shooting and notified authorities.
Goldinger said that law enforcement officials reacted “as soon as they could.”
“I mean I don’t think they’re going to just take a shot at him, if you know what I mean, because they see him up on a building,” he said.
The Secret Service has defended its security for Trump - the Republican candidate for November’s election - and said it had recently added resources for his protection.
The FBI said in a news conference early Sunday that it was “surprising” the gunman had been able to get off so many shots because he was “neutralized” by counter-snipers.
Shooter filmed on roof with rifle
A video published by US outlet TMZ, shows the gunman lays on his stomach on a rooftop with a rifle in hand, then screams ring out, on Saturday shows.
The video published by TMZ shows the alleged shooter laying on his belly on a rooftop and aiming a rifle.
“The guy has longer brown hair, and he seems to be wearing a grey shirt/khaki pants - and as you can see, he’s carefully trying pinpoint a target from afar before pulling the trigger,” TMZ reported.
The man is not shown firing in the published footage. But a quick succession of gunshots is heard followed by screams from people off-camera.
“He’s turning this way, be careful guys,” a man is heard saying.
“Somebody got shot,” another voice says. “He’s right there, laying down.”
“Dude, that’s exactly why we need... Trump here,” another man is heard saying.
“Secret Service don’t (mess) around,” another man says.
A second video published by TMZ shows shaky footage of the same rooftop and a blurred body.
“You can see the guy there,” a person off-camera says. “I think they hit him because the guy, he looks dead.”
Another video posted by a TikTok user shows Trump touching his right ear just after multiple bangs are heard.
In the same frame, a security force sniper, positioned on a roof behind the Republican presidential candidate, is seen taking aim with a rifle mounted on a stand.
US Secret Service deny claims
Authorities have identified the gunman involved in the attack as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was killed by Secret Service agents at the scene after the shooting.
The FBI said he is as a resident of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania – about 35 miles south of Butler, where Trump was holding his rally.
Meanwhile, the US Secret Service denied claims that it had refused additional protection for Trump ahead of his Pennsylvania campaign rally.
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said on social media platform X that the assertions were “absolutely false,” adding that the agency had “added protective resources & technology & capabilities as part of the increased campaign travel tempo.”
Meanwhile, a dramatic video has emerged showing the swift response of Secret Service snipers who shot the gunman.
The footage, circulating on X, captures the moment two Secret Service snipers stationed on a roof near Trump quickly took aim and opened fire on the gunman. Following the attack, nine shots rang out, and Trump ducked for cover before being surrounded by Secret Service agents, video from the event shows.
