The FBI has identified the individual responsible for the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, according to US media reports early Sunday.
“Investigators have determined that Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was involved in the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania,” the FBI stated in a press release.
The incident occurred during a rally in Pennsylvania, where Trump was targeted by gunfire.
Secret Service agents swiftly responded, securing the former president and transporting him offstage to safety.
Trump has since returned home to New Jersey and is reported to be in good health, expressing gratitude to law enforcement in a statement released by the Republican National Committee (RNC).
In a message on his Truth Social network, Trump described the moment a bullet grazed the “upper part” of his right ear. “I immediately sensed something was wrong when I heard a whizzing sound and shots, and then felt the bullet tear through my skin,” Trump wrote. “There was significant bleeding, which made me realize what was happening.”
The FBI confirmed that the incident is under active investigation, emphasizing its ongoing nature. Pennsylvania authorities have assured the public that there are no additional threats stemming from the shooting.
According to US Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi, the suspect was fatally shot by a Secret Service sniper at the scene.
