By Michael Biesecker, Alanna Durkin Richer, Michael Balsamo and Jim Mustian • Published July 14, 2024 • Updated 1 hour ago
The 20-year-old man who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump first drew law enforcement's attention at Saturday's rally when spectators observed him behaving strangely outside the campaign event. This tip triggered an urgent search, but officers were unable to locate him before he ascended onto a roof and opened fire.
Following the shooting that resulted in the death of one spectator, investigators are actively seeking any clues regarding what motivated Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, to carry out the shocking attack. The FBI is investigating it as a potential act of domestic terrorism, although the deceased assailant's lack of a clear ideological motive has fueled speculation.
"I urge everyone — everyone, please, don’t make assumptions about his motives or his affiliations," President Joe Biden emphasized in remarks from the White House on Sunday. "Let the FBI do their job, and their partner agencies do their job. I’ve instructed that this investigation be thorough and swift."
The FBI believes Crooks acted alone and found bomb-making materials in the car he drove to the rally. Investigators have not discovered any threatening statements on his social media accounts or clear ideological positions that could explain his targeting of Trump, who was swiftly escorted off the stage by the Secret Service with blood on his face.
Trump mentioned on social media that the upper part of his right ear was grazed in the shooting, but advisers indicated he was in "great spirits" ahead of his arrival in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention on Sunday. Two spectators were critically wounded, and Corey Comperatore, a former local fire chief, heroically sacrificed his life by shielding his family from harm, according to Pennsylvania's governor.
Relatives of Crooks did not respond to numerous inquiries from The Associated Press. His father, Matthew Crooks, told CNN he was trying to comprehend "what the hell is going on" but declined to comment further until speaking with law enforcement. An FBI official confirmed that Crooks' family is cooperating with the investigation.
According to a law enforcement official speaking anonymously, several rally attendees reported Crooks' suspicious behavior and pacing near the magnetometers. They alerted officers when he began climbing a ladder, but despite a search effort, law enforcement failed to locate him before he reached the roof and carried out the attack.
