- The FBI has identified the man who shot Donald Trump as Thomas Matthew Crooks.
- Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper.
- Crooks was a Republican and his motives for shooting Trump remain unclear.
The FBI has identified the man who shot former President Donald Trump as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.
Crooks was shot and killed by a Secret Service agent on Saturday after firing shots at Trump “from an elevated position” during a rally in Pennsylvania.
Trump said he was shot above the ear, but his campaign said the president was “safe.” One person at the rally was killed in the assassination attempt.
Here’s the latest we know about Crooks.
July 14, 2:12 p.m.: Biden warns against speculating on motives
At a brief White House news conference, President Joe Biden said investigators had not yet determined Crooks’ motive.
““I ask everyone not to speculate about his motives or ties,” Biden said. “Let the FBI do their job.”
Biden said he had ordered a “thorough and swift” investigation into the shooting.
The president said he would provide more details in a prime-time address Sunday night.
July 14th, 12pm: Explosives found: Report
Authorities later found an explosive device in a car that Crooks had driven to the rally and parked nearby, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing anonymous people with knowledge of the incident.
According to the Wall Street Journal, police received reports of a suspicious package in the area of the shooter and an explosives disposal unit was dispatched to the scene.
Police also found bomb-making materials at Crooks’ home, according to the Associated Press.
The FBI told Business Insider that the investigation into the shooting remains ongoing, and as of Sunday morning, investigators had not yet determined Crooks’ motive.
July 14, 10 a.m.: An AR-style rifle was reportedly used in the shooting.
Police found an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle near Crooks’ body, according to The New York Times.
A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that investigators believe the weapon was purchased by Crooks’ father.
Who was Thomas Matthew Crookes?
Voting records show Crooks was a registered Republican.
Crooks did not appear to have a criminal history prior to the shooting, according to online court records from Pennsylvania.
Federal Election Commission Records It said someone matching Crooks’ name and address donated $15 to the Progressive Turnout Project in January 2021 through ActBlue, a fundraising platform for political candidates.
The election, scheduled for November, would have been the first in which Crooks would be old enough to vote in a presidential election.
The motive for shooting the former president is still unclear.
The Bethel Park School District in Pennsylvania confirmed in a statement obtained by local media that Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022.
“The school district will cooperate fully with any law enforcement investigation surrounding this incident,” the statement read.
According to local media outlet Triblive, Crooks received a $500 “Star Award” from the National Mathematics and Science Initiative.
As of Sunday morning, dozens of police vehicles were stationed outside the address listed on Crooks’ voter registration records, USA Today reported, and roads leading to his home were blocked off.
According to the media, investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were at the scene, as was an explosives disposal unit.
Crooks’ home is about an hour’s drive south of Butler.
Crooks’ father, Matthew Crooks, 53, told CNN he was trying to figure out “what the hell is going on” and would not speak about his son until he had spoken to police.
