On July 13, 2024, while attending a rally in Butler, PA, a lone gunman made an assassination attempt on former president and current Republican nominee Donald J. Trump. The former president was seen clutching his ear before ducking down after multiple shots rang out throughout the rally. A bullet came within inches of ending Trump’s life, just grazing his right ear, as shown in the now-infamous picture of him striking a pose just moments before the Secret Service whisked him off stage. He is expected to make a full recovery.
Credit: Donald Trump Jr. on X
The would-be assassin has been identified by the FBI as a local Pennsylvania man named Thomas Matthew Crooks. The 20-year-old was shot dead by a Secret Service sniper just moments after the first few shots rang out.
Credit: Reddit User No-Win-1137
According to the FBI, Crooks was the “subject involved in the assassination attempt on the former president and that an active investigation was under way." As of now, no further details about the suspect have been released by the FBI. Crooks was pictured army-style crawling on top of a nearby roof just before the assassination attempt took place.
Credit: TMZ
Crooks attended Bethel Park High School and graduated in 2022. He was working as a local nursing home kitchen staff member at the time of his death. He also allegedly happened to appear in an advertisement produced by BlackRock Inc. back in 2022. While this isn’t necessarily relevant to the assassination attempt, MediaFancier finds the information compelling. Crooks allegedly appears at (0:18).
Credit: Reddit User maximkas
Witness testimony is emotional and frightening. Many individuals are criticizing law enforcement’s actions on that day, both preceding and following the event. MediaFancier will keep you updated with the latest as that situation develops, but it certainly seems like this assassination attempt could have been prevented. Witnesses were caught on video shouting about a “guy on the roof” far before any shots rang out.
This marks a dangerous escalation in American politics. As both the current and former president have stated, this type of behavior has no place in our democracy.
Sources:
Update on the FBI Investigation of the Attempted Assassination of Former President Donald Trump. https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/update-on-the-fbi-investigation-of-the-attempted-assassination-of-former-president-donald-trump
Press, T. A. Trump survives assassination attempt at campaign rally, as it unfolded. AP News. https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-13-2024
(2024, July 14). In the wake of Trump's attempted assassination, investigators search for clues around the motive. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-thomas-matthew-crooks-shooter-881581c46c07025898027143fc9132e5
News, N. (2024, July 15). Trump assassination attempt live updates: More than a dozen guns found at shooter's home. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/live-blog/trump-assassination-attempt-rally-shooting-live-update-rcna161972
Reuters.Com. https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/misinformation-narratives-fact-checked-wake-trump-assassination-attempt-2024-07-15/
News, A. (2024, July 15). Investigation into Trump assassination attempt focuses on motive. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/US/fbi-searches-motive-trump-assassination-attempt-cautions-investigation/story?id=111945201
News, A. Live updates: Trump picks Sen. JD Vance of Ohio as his running mate. AP News. https://apnews.com/live/rnc-day-1-trump-biden-election-updates
Debusmann, B. (2024, July 14). Thomas Matthew Crooks: What we know about Donald Trump's attacker. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3gw58wv4e9o
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