According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Pennsylvania, allegedly opened fire on former U.S. President Donald Trump during an election rally in Butler on Sunday.

Crooks was fatally shot by law enforcement officers after getting dangerously close to assassinating the presidential candidate. The incident resulted in the death of a 50-year-old man, injuries to two other guests, and a wound to Donald Trump’s right ear.

Officials stated that Crooks had climbed onto a roof about 150 yards (140 meters) from the stage where Donald Trump was speaking and began shooting with a semi-automatic rifle similar to an AR-15, legally purchased by his father.

Thomas Matthew Crooks was an individual.

Crooks, a registered Republican voter living in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, would have cast his first presidential vote in the upcoming election on November 5.

According to Reuters, upon graduating from Bethel Park High School in 2022, Crooks was known as a quiet, intelligent classmate. His high school counselor described him as “respectful” and “introverted,” with no previous political inclinations.

The FBI found no threatening language on his social media profiles, nor any prior evidence of mental health issues. Officials were unable to determine his political views as there were no posts on his social media accounts that encouraged violence or comparable activities.

Additionally, a current squad captain told the Associated Press that Crooks had tried out for the rifle team during his school days but was rejected due to poor shooting skills. In an interview, a classmate mentioned that Crooks’ hobbies mainly involved building computers and gaming.

According to a statement from the nursing home’s administration, Crooks previously worked there as a dietary aide.

Public records indicate that his mother is a registered Democrat and his father a registered Republican.

What happened during the Donald Trump campaign rally? According to the Associated Press, law enforcement first became aware of Crooks outside Donald Trump’s campaign event when spectators noticed him behaving “strangely.” An officer reported that witnesses saw him climbing a ladder, prompting a search that failed to locate him before he reached the roof. When police found Crooks on the roof, he was unable to use his gun at that moment, but then he fired in Trump’s direction. Subsequently, according to two officials cited by the AP, he was shot by Secret Service snipers. The FBI stated they were investigating the incident as a potential act of domestic terrorism and believed Crooks was “acting alone,” though they were still uncertain about his political views and motives.

In a video that went viral on social media and was geolocated by the AP, Crooks was seen lying motionless on the roof of a construction factory just north of the Butler Farm Show Grounds, where Donald Trump’s event was held. He was wearing a gray T-shirt with a black American flag on his right arm.

In summary:
A 20-year-old man attempted to assassinate Donald Trump during a rally.
The authorities climbed the roof where the attacker was hiding.
After the attacker aimed his rifle at them, he retreated.
According to an Associated Press report, police spotted the man attempting to shoot former U.S. President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania before he fired. The report said the gunman aimed his rifle at a police officer, who had climbed the roof where the attacker was crawling, causing the officer to retreat.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, the gunman, was positioned on a roof near the rally site. Many demonstrators directed the police toward Crooks, sparking a chaotic search.
Two law enforcement sources who spoke to the Associated Press said the gunman allegedly had an AR-style rifle belonging to his father.

When a local policeman climbed the roof, he saw Crooks aiming his weapon at him. Officials said the gunman then fired rapidly at Trump as the officer climbed down the ladder.

During the rally, Secret Service agents later shot and killed Crooks.

There were many unanswered questions about how the gunman got so close.

Kevin Rozeck, an FBI agent from the Pittsburgh Field Office, told the Associated Press that “it is astounding” the gunman was able to fire at the stage before being killed by the Secret Service.

Law enforcement officials told the AP that the shooting at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, was being investigated as a possible assassination attempt on the former president and potential Republican candidate.
Footage surfaced

An initial striking video showed the swift action of Secret Service snipers in taking down the attacker.