(Butler, PA) Multiple reports say the shooter behind former President Trump’s assassination attempt had explosive materials in his car and at his residence. Authorities used the gun found at the scene to identify the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. One person in the audience was killed, and two others were in critical condition. Trump was hit in the ear by a bullet and is recovering.
The FBI early on Sunday identified the suspected gunman as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The shooter grazed the right ear of former President Trump and left one spectator dead and two others critically injured.
Former President Donald J. Trump was escorted into his motorcade at a rally in Butler, PA, around an hour north of Pittsburgh. During the rally, he was rushed off the stage by Secret Service agents after several pops that sounded like gunshots. When the pops began at 6:13 p.m., Mr. Trump appeared to grab his right ear, which was bleeding as he left the stage. The former president was immediately surrounded by agents who escorted him to the motorcade. Despite the commotion, he pumped his fist at the crowd as he was hustled off the stage. No further details are available at this time.
Meanwhile, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird released the following statement regarding today’s failed assassination attempt on President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania:
“Today’s heinous assassination attempt was not just an attack on President Trump; it was an attack on our country and our democracy.
And while it failed at killing President Trump, it murdered one of our fellow Americans. This attack was nothing short of evil. Bob and I mourn with the family who lost their loved one.
I thank law enforcement and first responders for their swift response. Please join me in praying for President Trump’s recovery, the families of the Americans who were tragically shot, and our country.”
