New details are emerging about the investigation after the gunman opened fire on a public meeting in Butler, Pennsylvania, where former President Donald Trump addressed a crowd of supporters. Trump rushed from the stage after the shots sounded, and later said that wounded by a bullet which hit the upper right ear.
At the gunman was killed by Secret Service snipers, officials said. “U.S. Secret Service agents neutralized the shooter, who is now deceased,” the agency said in a statement.
A person in the audience at the rally was killed in the shooting, and two others were critically injured.
Sunday morning, FBI identify the gunman as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, which is outside of Pittsburgh.
Multiple law enforcement sources said he was armed with a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle and opened fire from the roof of the warehouse about 410 meters from the stage where Trump spoke. The shooter’s location was outside the security perimeter established by the Secret Service around the Trump rally, according to law enforcement sources.
Google Earth/CBS News
A satellite map of the property where the rally was held, which was created using GoogleEarth and includes a feature to measure distance, appears to support a distance of about 400 feet.
Secret Service snipers were positioned on the roof behind the stage where Trump spoke.
GoogleEarth/CBS News Confirmed
GoogleEarth/CBS News Confirmed
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is working to trace the weapon used in the shooting.
At a press conference last night, Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh branch, said he had no information on a motive for the shooting. Rojek said authorities are investigating the incident as an “attempted murder”.
Crooks had no ties to foreign terrorism or was known to law enforcement before the rally, law enforcement officials said Sunday morning, but authorities were still looking into his background.
Rojek said in the briefing that the fact that the gunman could fire multiple shots was “surprising,” but did not answer additional questions about the circumstances of the shooting itself or the FBI investigation.
Rojek said that “there was an identification of a suspicious package around the shooter’s location, so we are deploying, very cautiously, the bomb assets, to make sure they are cleared for the investigators,” but did not say whether any suspicious packages were found. really found.
“Right now, we’re tracking all the leads, and doing all the interviews, and tracking anything we can about suspicious locations, vehicles…” Rojek said.
Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the Secret Service, said in a statement that the agency had implemented protective measures for the rally.
Secret Service personnel were positioned on stage and quickly surrounded Trump and ushered him into his motorcade after the shoot.
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
“During Former President Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on the evening of July 13 at approximately 6:15 p.m., a suspected gunman fired multiple shots into the stage from an elevated position outside the rally venue. Personnel The US Secret Service neutralized the shooter, who is now deceased,” the Secret Service said in a statement Saturday. “The US Secret Service quickly responded with protective measures and Former President Trump is safe.”
In another statement on Sunday, the Secret Service rejected suggestions that sources of protection had been denied.
“The statement that members of the former President’s security team requested additional security resources that were denied by the US Secret Service or the Department of Homeland Security is completely false. In fact, recently the US Secret Service added resources and protective capabilities to the former President’s security. detailed,” said Guglielmi.
“Former Presidents, and current Presidents, are generally exposed to threats. The US Secret Service takes threats seriously, and takes action based on those threats as promised. The US Secret Service is constantly assessing the dynamic threat environment and responding. It is to fulfill its obligations”.
While we can’t get into the specifics, the US Secret Service is adding additional resources to the entire campaign cycle including manpower and various protective technologies. These resource additions occur for the entire election cycle and are part of the candidate nominating operations section, also known as CNOS.
The former president and his campaign team were released first statements after the shooting to acknowledge what happened and thank law enforcement for their response. Trump show a new statement on social media Sunday morning he said, “I really love our country, and love you all, and look forward to speaking to the Great Nation this week from Wisconsin,” where the Republican National Convention is scheduled to start on Friday.
“At this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, stay Strong and Determined, and not let Evil Win,” Trump said.
