Trump rally shooting: Republican candidate survives assassination attempt, FBI investigating


The FBI has identified a 20-year-old man from western Pennsylvania, Thomas Matthew Crooks, as the man who plotted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday.

Crooks reportedly shot Trump above the right ear as the former president was addressing attendees at a rally in the small town ahead of next week's Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

The incident left one attendee dead and two injured, with Crooks being shot dead, the station said. The identities of the victims have not yet been released.

“The FBI has identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, age 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as a suspect in connection to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania,” the FBI said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “The investigation remains active.”

Crooks, 20, was from Bethel Park, a suburb of Pittsburgh, about an hour south of where the assassination attempt took place.

Crooks reportedly graduated from Bethel Park High School in the class of 2022. He was one of about 20 students from the school who received a $500 “Star Award” from the National Math and Science Initiative.

A Fox News Digital investigation found that Crooks turned 21 in September. He had no criminal or traffic violations to report, and no bankruptcies, liens or foreclosures.

According to voting records, Crooks was registered as a Republican but because of his age he only participated in the state election on Nov. 8, 2022. Voting records also do not provide details on who voters voted for.

The FBI says it continues to investigate Crooks and any information it has.

Fox News Digital's Scott McDonald and Landon Mion contributed to this update.



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