Law enforcement authorities have identified the man responsible for an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
The FBI confirmed the shooter was 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The motive for the attack remains unknown.
According to Anthony Guglielmi, the Secret Service chief of communications, the gunman was swiftly “neutralized,” preventing further chaos and potential harm to rally attendees.
Bethel Park, a predominantly white and relatively affluent city, is located in the southern part of greater Pittsburgh. The rally took place in Butler, about an hour’s drive north of Pittsburgh.
Pennsylvania voter records indicate that a Thomas Matthew Crooks, with a matching address and birth date, was registered as a Republican. However, it is unclear when this registration occurred or if it had any relevance to the incident.
During a news conference on Saturday night, law enforcement officials announced they were close to positively identifying the shooter. State police Lt. Col. George Bivens noted that the shooter did not carry any identification, complicating the process. “The shooter has been tentatively identified,” Bivens said. “It’s a matter of doing biometric confirmations.”
Authorities stressed the need to understand the assailant’s background and circumstances to prevent similar incidents in the future.
