Attempted Assassination of Former President Donald Trump
The FBI has identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the assailant in the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump. The incident occurred during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. Crooks, who was armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, was shot and killed by Secret Service agents after he opened fire from an elevated position. One attendee was killed, and two others were seriously injured during the attack.
Political Fallout and Reactions
The attempted assassination has sparked a political firestorm, with Republican lawmakers blaming President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party for fostering a divisive political climate. Representative Derek Van Orden of Wisconsin declared that Trump's survival of the attack would ensure his victory in the upcoming presidential election. Other Republicans echoed similar sentiments, suggesting that the incident would galvanize Trump's support base. Representative Mike Collins of Georgia even suggested a conspiracy theory, claiming that President Biden had ordered the shooting. Meanwhile, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has announced plans to hold a hearing to investigate the incident, demanding answers from the Secret Service.
- Thomas Matthew Crooks, who had no prior criminal record, was a recent graduate of Bethel Park High School and was registered as a Republican voter. Despite his affiliation with the Republican Party, he had made a small donation to the Democratic Party's Progressives Project in January 2021.
- The shooting took place just one day before the start of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Trump is expected to be officially endorsed as the party's candidate for the presidential race.
- Witnesses described the chaotic scene, with one individual recounting how they tried to alert police officers to the presence of the shooter on the roof. The officers eventually engaged and neutralized Crooks, ending the immediate threat.
