BREAK DOWN.Date: July 13, 2024.Location: Butler Farm Show Fairgrounds, Butler, PA.Fatalities: 2, including the gunman.Wounded: 3, including former president Donald Trump.Suspect: Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20.Suspect Status: Deceased.Motive: Unconfirmed at this time.EVENTS.At approximately 18:15 EST, several gunshots were fired towards former president Donald Trump while he was giving a speech at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania..Footage of the shooting shows Trump immediately reaching for his ear as shots rang out before getting down on the ground with Secret Service agents, who also yelled out that the shooter was down. It was later reported that the gunman was killed by a Secret Service counter-sniping team located near the podium..Before being rushed off the stage, he told the agents to "wait" and raised his fist in the air to cheering supporters..In an official statement, the Secret Service reported that "a suspected shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue. US Secret Service personnel neutralized the shooter, who is now deceased. US Secret Service quickly responded with protective measures and the former president is safe and being evaluated."."One spectator was killed, and two spectators were critically injured," the Secret Service confirmed, adding that "The incident is currently under investigation and the Secret Service has formally notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation.".Location of Shooter.Footage of the gunman's body was geolocated to a series of buildings outside of the fairgrounds belonging to AGR International Inc (Geo: 40.8582743, -79.9708108), which is located some 150 yards from the podium where Trump was speaking. Local law enforcement sources say an AR-style rifle was recovered at the scene..A bystander told BBC News that he "noticed a guy bear crawling up the roof of the building beside us" that was armed with a rifle prior to the shooting. He added that they were pointing at the suspect and shouting out his location to police who "did not know what was going on."."Next thing you know… why is Trump still speaking? Why have they not pulled him off the stage? I am standing there pointing at him for two to three minutes. Secret Service (potentially the sniper team) is looking at us from the top of the barn and next thing you know, five shots rang out.".Additional footage shows that rally goers spotted Crooks at least 6 minutes and 35 seconds into Trump's speech, meaning that his location was known for two minutes prior to the shooting..Trump Reaction.In a post to Truth Social, Trump stated: "I want to thank The United States Secret Service, and all of Law Enforcement, for their rapid response to the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania. Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the Rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured. It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country."."Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead. I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!".Suspect and Motive.Details are slowly beginning to emerge about the background of the gunman that attempted to assassinate former president Donald Trump, who was identified by the FBI as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, PA..An exact motive has yet to be identified by authorities..According to KDKA-TV, Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022 and the BBC reported that he had been working at a local nursing home since. According to Meghan Schiller from KDKA, classmates of Crooks described him as "as a loner who was bullied relentlessly and wore "hunting" outfits often in class.".Crooks did not appear to have any publicly facing social media accounts or online presence..Crooks, who has no previous criminal record, was not known to authorities prior to the shooting at a rally in Butler, which left an attendee dead and two others wounded..Federal Election Commission records show that Crooks made a one time $15 donation to the liberal Progressive Turnout Project PAC the day President Joe Biden was sworn into office on January 20, 2021. Meanwhile, Crooks registered as a Republican in September of that same year..Speaking to CNN, Crooks' father, Matthew Crooks, said he was trying to figure out "what the hell is going on" and is willing to cooperate with authorities. Law enforcement officials told AP that the rifle used in the attempted assassination was purchased by Matthew Crooks approximately six months before the shooting.
BREAK DOWN.Date: July 13, 2024.Location: Butler Farm Show Fairgrounds, Butler, PA.Fatalities: 2, including the gunman.Wounded: 3, including former president Donald Trump.Suspect: Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20.Suspect Status: Deceased.Motive: Unconfirmed at this time.EVENTS.At approximately 18:15 EST, several gunshots were fired towards former president Donald Trump while he was giving a speech at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania..Footage of the shooting shows Trump immediately reaching for his ear as shots rang out before getting down on the ground with Secret Service agents, who also yelled out that the shooter was down. It was later reported that the gunman was killed by a Secret Service counter-sniping team located near the podium..Before being rushed off the stage, he told the agents to "wait" and raised his fist in the air to cheering supporters..In an official statement, the Secret Service reported that "a suspected shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue. US Secret Service personnel neutralized the shooter, who is now deceased. US Secret Service quickly responded with protective measures and the former president is safe and being evaluated."."One spectator was killed, and two spectators were critically injured," the Secret Service confirmed, adding that "The incident is currently under investigation and the Secret Service has formally notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation.".Location of Shooter.Footage of the gunman's body was geolocated to a series of buildings outside of the fairgrounds belonging to AGR International Inc (Geo: 40.8582743, -79.9708108), which is located some 150 yards from the podium where Trump was speaking. Local law enforcement sources say an AR-style rifle was recovered at the scene..A bystander told BBC News that he "noticed a guy bear crawling up the roof of the building beside us" that was armed with a rifle prior to the shooting. He added that they were pointing at the suspect and shouting out his location to police who "did not know what was going on."."Next thing you know… why is Trump still speaking? Why have they not pulled him off the stage? I am standing there pointing at him for two to three minutes. Secret Service (potentially the sniper team) is looking at us from the top of the barn and next thing you know, five shots rang out.".Additional footage shows that rally goers spotted Crooks at least 6 minutes and 35 seconds into Trump's speech, meaning that his location was known for two minutes prior to the shooting..Trump Reaction.In a post to Truth Social, Trump stated: "I want to thank The United States Secret Service, and all of Law Enforcement, for their rapid response to the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania. Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the Rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured. It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country."."Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead. I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!".Suspect and Motive.Details are slowly beginning to emerge about the background of the gunman that attempted to assassinate former president Donald Trump, who was identified by the FBI as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, PA..An exact motive has yet to be identified by authorities..According to KDKA-TV, Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022 and the BBC reported that he had been working at a local nursing home since. According to Meghan Schiller from KDKA, classmates of Crooks described him as "as a loner who was bullied relentlessly and wore "hunting" outfits often in class.".Crooks did not appear to have any publicly facing social media accounts or online presence..Crooks, who has no previous criminal record, was not known to authorities prior to the shooting at a rally in Butler, which left an attendee dead and two others wounded..Federal Election Commission records show that Crooks made a one time $15 donation to the liberal Progressive Turnout Project PAC the day President Joe Biden was sworn into office on January 20, 2021. Meanwhile, Crooks registered as a Republican in September of that same year..Speaking to CNN, Crooks' father, Matthew Crooks, said he was trying to figure out "what the hell is going on" and is willing to cooperate with authorities. Law enforcement officials told AP that the rifle used in the attempted assassination was purchased by Matthew Crooks approximately six months before the shooting.
