Editor’s note: This page is a summary of news about the Trump shooting on Saturday, July 20. See the Sunday, July 21 file for the latest updates.
A week after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump that left a rallygoer dead in Butler, Pennsylvania, investigators are investigating the suspect’s background and possible motives as questions remain about security measures that were in place before the incident.
Trump was onstage when the shooting occurred last Saturday evening and was removed by Secret Service personnel after suffering an ear injury. He was treated at a local hospital and is “OK,” according to a staff member.
New details about the injury were released Saturday by Rep. Ronny Jackson, who once served as Trump’s White House physician. Jackson said he has been treating Trump daily since the shooting.
In the memo, Jackson said Trump was “recovering well and as expected from the gunshot wounds he sustained last Saturday afternoon.”
Mr Jackson said the bullet that injured Mr Trump struck the top of his right ear just before “entering his head”, causing a two-centimeter wound. The wound was healing well and the swelling had subsided, but Mr Jackson said it still required bandaging because it bleeds occasionally.
Tributes were given at a vigil Thursday and a funeral procession Friday in memory of Corey Comperatore, a volunteer firefighter and father of two who died in the crowd.
Here’s the latest information we know:
Suspect’s school district releases latest statement
On Saturday, the Bethel Park School District released an updated statement addressing some of the “misunderstandings.”
The district said records show Thomas Matthew Crooks excelled academically and had no history of disciplinary issues or bullying. Crooks got along well with classmates and school staff, the district said. (Classmates have given mixed reviews of Crooks’ experiences at school.)
“It has been two years since we last saw Thomas Crooks, and it would be extremely irresponsible to speculate about his mental state,” the school district said.
The school district has no record of Crooks being a member of the rifle team or trying out for it, but it’s possible he unofficially attended practices. Classmates previously told USA Today that Crooks tried out for the team as a freshman but didn’t make it.
Experts say Trump took too long to evacuate after the shooting
Shortly after the Secret Service decided to escort Trump away from the rally, the former president stopped to emerge into the crowd and raise his fist, an iconic moment captured in photos and video.
But former Secret Service agents and experts told USA Today that taking so long to remove him was unconventional and put his life at further risk: Standard practice is for a “protected person” to remain bent over while agents completely surround and cover him.
“The coverage of the efforts to rescue him was absolutely awful,” said former Secret Service director John Mageau.
“It should have been done sooner,” said A.T. Smith, who served as deputy director of the Secret Service from 2012 to 2015. read more.
An investigation continues into why law enforcement failed to stop the shooting.
At least some police officers at the Butler rally saw Crooks before he opened fire, according to officials, videos shared by rally attendees and news reports.
Crooks was on a rooftop near the rally, where law enforcement later recovered an AR-style rifle, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.
A local police officer confronted Crooks moments before the shooting. Butler County Sheriff Michael Throop told Reuters the officer had been hoisted onto the roof by his partner. The gunman saw the officer and pointed his rifle at him, before the officer grabbed hold of the roof’s edge and climbed down to safety.
Former Secret Service special agent Kenneth Valentine told Reuters that the agency responsible for protecting Trump should have had personnel stationed on the roof in a position to monitor and neutralise any threats.
Crooks’ motives remain unclear.
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told USA Today that there is an “independent investigative committee that will look into all aspects of this matter, including the evacuation process.”
Contributors: Josh Meyer, John Bacon, Christopher Kang, Jorge L. Ortiz, Kenny Jacoby, Kristin Phillips, Bryce Bouyakie, USA TODAY Network, Reuters
