Thomas Matthew Crooks was named by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) “as the subject involved in the assassination attempt of former United State President Donald Trump on Saturday evening.
A voter-registration record showed that he was registered as a Republican.
Thomas Matthew Crooks was the resident of Bethel Park in Pennsylvania. He appears to have graduated in 2022 from Bethel Park High School. He even received a $500 “star award” that year from the National Math and Science Initiative, according to The Tribune-Review in western Pennsylvania.
He was armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. Multiple witnesses said they saw him before the shooting and alerted authorities.
Crooks was positioned on the roof of a building about 130 yards away from the stage where Donald Trump was addressing the rally.
He was shot dead by the Secret Service officials after the attack on the 78-year-old former US President. Police said Crooks’ motive behind firing on the presumptive Republican presidential nominee is unclear.
LEADERSHIP had reported late Saturday night that former US President Donald Trump was rushed off stage after he fell to the ground at the start of a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, according to the CNN.
It was not immediately clear what caused Trump to fall at the time. He raised a fist and yelled back to members of the crowd before he was rushed away.
The incident came after a busy day of campaigning for both Trump and President Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential race.
Loud bangs were heard before Trump fell. Secret Service agents then helped him stand, and he had blood on his face. He was yelling back to the crowd and raised his fist. He was then taken to a vehicle and evacuated from the scene.
