In a recent update, the U.S authorities have identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the gunman who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Crooks fired multiple shots, with one grazing Trump’s ear during the outdoor event.
The swift response from U.S. Secret Service snipers ended the threat by neutralizing Crooks on the roof of a nearby manufacturing plant, located about 130 yards from the rally stage.
At the scene, an AR-style semi-automatic assault rifle was recovered, and Crooks was found wearing attire associated with a popular gun-themed YouTube channel called Demolition Ranch.
Despite his Republican voter registration, records indicate Crooks made a $15 donation to the liberal ActBlue political action committee on January 20, 2021, coinciding with President Biden’s Inauguration Day.
Bethel Park, where Crooks lived, is situated approximately 40 miles south of Butler, adding a local context to the national incident.
