FBI Identifies Thomas Matthew Crooks As Donald Trump Attacker

Authorities have identified the gunman involved in the attack against former US President Donald Trump on Saturday as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was killed by Secret Service agents at the scene after the shooting.

The FBI named Crooks in a statement early Sunday morning, identifying him as a resident of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania – about 35 miles south of Butler, where Trump was holding his rally.

Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022, according to a local media report and a video of the school’s commencement, reports CNN.

Crooks fired on Trump while perched on a nearby building rooftop outside the rally’s security perimeter, before being killed by the Secret Service, according to law enforcement officials.

Witnesses at the rally described a “bloody” and chaotic scene, with people trying to administer first aid to those hit by the gunfire and struggling with the dense crowd.

The shooting left one rally attendee dead and two others in critical condition, authorities said. Trump was injured, writing on social media that he’d been hit by a bullet in the upper part of his ear– though his campaign said he was otherwise fine. Trump flew back to Newark, New Jersey, late Saturday night.

Now attention turns to the active and ongoing investigation, which involves multiple federal and state bodies. The FBI has urged members of the public to submit any information they have through a tip line or the agency website, including photos or videos of the shooting.