That’s the gunman shots were fired in former President Donald Trump’s assassination attempt on a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Friday night has been identified by the FBI as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. They killed by Secret Service snipers, officials said.
One audience member at the rally, a Pennsylvania firefighter Corey Comparatorewas killed in the shooting, and two other people are in critical condition, the official said.
Who is the shooter?
In a statement, the FBI said:
“The FBI has identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the subject involved in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on July 13, in Butler, Pennsylvania. This remains an active and active investigation, and anyone with information that may assist the investigation are encouraged to submit photos or videos online at FBI.gov/butler or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Federal investigators said the gunman did not carry identification, so they are analyzing his DNA to provide biometric confirmation of his identity.
Crooks is from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, a Pittsburgh suburb about an hour south of Butler. This city in Allegheny County is home to about 30,000 people and has one high school with about 1,300 students.
Bethel Park School District confirmed to CBS Pittsburgh station KDKA that Crooks is a 2022 graduate of Bethel Park High School. School officials pledged to cooperate with law enforcement investigating the shooting, and offered their condolences to those affected by the attack.
Former classmate Jameson Myers, a member of the school’s varsity rifle team, told CBS News that Crooks had tried out for the team freshman year but did not make the junior varsity roster and did not return to try out for the team the following year.
He called Crooks a “great kid who never talked about anybody,” and he said, “I never thought he could do what I’ve seen in the last few days.”
Classmate Summer Barkley told CBS Pittsburgh reporter Megan Schiller that even though Crooks was unpopular, he still had friends and was a good student who was loved by his teachers. He said he didn’t see any red flags that would make him believe he would do something like this.
Another classmate, Jason Koehler, had a slightly different view, telling Schiller that Crooks was someone who didn’t like being bullied for his looks and wore camo/hunting gear to class. He said Crooks would often sit in the cafeteria alone before class. They also said Crooks was very aware of COVID and wore a surgical mask long after it was required.
Crooks graduated from the Community College of Allegheny County in May 2024 with an Associate in Science degree in Engineering Science, a university spokesperson confirmed to CBS News. Crooks also works at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center as a dietary aide, according to the facility’s administrator.
Crooks has also been a member of a nearby gun club for at least a year. Bill Sellitto, president of the Clairton Sportsmen Club in Clairton, Pennsylvania, told CBS News that Crooks was a member.
“We can confirm that Mr. Crooks is a member of the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club. Additionally, the club is unable to comment further on this matter due to a pending law enforcement investigation,” Sellitto said in a statement. “Obviously, the Club is fully aware of the senseless acts of violence that occurred yesterday.”
What is the motive?
“Right now we don’t have a motive identified,” Kevin Rojek, FBI Pittsburgh special agent in charge, said in a briefing Saturday night.
Law enforcement officials said Sunday that there are no known foreign terrorism ties at this time and that the suspect is not on law enforcement’s radar, although they still do not have his name.
There is also no indication that Crooks ever had any connections to any branch of the military, officials confirmed to CBS News.
Crooks’ political leanings are not immediately clear. Records show he was registered as a Republican voter in Pennsylvania but before he made a $15 donation to a Democratic-leaning group, KDKA reported.
Law enforcement officials said early Sunday that the Secret Service and FBI were investigating the suspect’s background and speaking with his family. The FBI has secured his home and federal law enforcement is searching his family home in suburban Pittsburgh, law enforcement officials said.
FBI officials said the shooter’s family is cooperating with investigators.
FBI officials told reporters during a press call Sunday afternoon that determining a motive is the main goal of the agency’s investigation, but no ideology has been identified as a motive so far. Officials also said there was no indication Crooks had any mental health issues.
Crooks has a social media presence, FBI officials said. Agents are combing through the posts and emails, but have found nothing so far that indicates a motive or anything threatening. The investigation so far has shown that Crooks acted alone and that there was no ongoing threat.
The agency also has Crooks’ cell phone and is seeking access to its contents. Meanwhile, the public has sent more than 2,000 tips to the FBI for investigation.
What weapons do they have?
The gunman was armed with an AR-style semiautomatic rifle, said several law enforcement sources. The ATF is tracking the weapon.
Two law enforcement sources told CBS News that the gun was legally purchased by and registered to the shooter’s father, Matthew Crooks.
Gunmen opened fire from the roof of a warehouse outside the covered rally area, about 400 feet from the stage, several sources said.
A law enforcement source confirmed Sunday that a suspicious device was found in the gunman’s vehicle. CBS News has learned that the shooter had a device that could have caused the suspicious device. Bomb technicians who were called to the scene were involved in securing and investigating the device.
What protections are there for Trump?
Trump said in a social media post that the bullet penetrated the upper right ear. He was checked out at a local hospital before leaving the area under Secret Service protection and flying to New Jersey that night.
Trump’s Secret Service details were given additional assets that were part of the protocol for the nominee being considered for his heavy campaign, which included additional manpower, counter-snipers, drones and robotic dogs, law enforcement officials said. On Saturday, there were four sniper teams at the site, the official said.
In addition, Trump’s teleprompter is protective and the flag and podium banner are made of steel, law enforcement officials said.
In a statement Sunday morning, U.S. Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the agency had recently “increased resources and protective capabilities for the former President’s security detail,” and said suggestions that he was turning down requests for more security were “absolutely false.”
“The U.S. Secret Service takes threats seriously, and takes action based on those threats,” he said. “The U.S. Secret Service is constantly evaluating the dynamic threat environment and responding to fulfill its responsibilities.”
The FBI is leading the investigation into the shooting. On Sunday, President Biden said he has ordered an independent review into what took place.
What did the witnesses see?
One person who was at the rally said that after Trump began speaking, he saw someone “bear crawling” up a building.
“We are pointing at him,” said the witness, named Greg. “He had a gun — you could see by the gun.” He told the BBC that he and others told the police and pointed them to US Secret Service agents. He estimated the man was on the roof for “three or four minutes” before the shots were fired.
another witness told CBS Pittsburgh station KDKA that they also saw the gunman and tried to alert the officer before the shooting.
Clare Hymes, Robert Legare, Andres Triay and Megan Schiller contributed reporting.
