WHO WAS THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS? WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT TRUMP'S ATTEMPTED ASSASSIN

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Who was Thomas Matthew Crooks? What we know about Trump’s attempted assassin

Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, and graduated from high school in 2022

By Scott McDonald

Published July 14, 2024 6:16am EDTUpdated July 14, 2024 10:13am EDT

 

The FBI has identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old man from western Pennsylvania, as the person who attempted to assassinate former President Trump at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.

 

Crooks reportedly shot Trump from a rooftop perch some 130 yards away during a rally in the small town, striking the upper part of Trump’s right ear while the former president was speaking to rallygoers ahead of next week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

 

One attendee was killed, and two others were injured during the incident, the agency said, and Crooks was shot dead.

 

The victims have not been identified yet.

 

"The FBI has identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the subject involved in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on July 13, in Butler, Pennsylvania," the FBI said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "This remains an active and ongoing investigation."

 

Crooks, 20, was from Bethel Park, which is a Pittsburgh suburb about an hour south from where the assassination attempt took place. 

 

Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022. He was one of nearly two dozen students from the school to earn a $500 "star award" from the National Math and Science Initiative. An online recording of his graduation ceremony shows him walking the stage to minimal applause and briefly posing with a school official, the New York Times reported.

 

A search by Fox News Digital revealed that Crooks would have turned 21 years old this September. He had no reported criminal or traffic citations and no reported bankruptcies, liens or foreclosures.

 

Crooks was a registered Republican, according to voting records, but he only participated in the Nov. 8, 2022, state election, due to his age. Records show that he made a $15 donation to Progressive Turnout Project, a Chicago-based political action committee that supports Democrat candidates for public office and claims to advocate for "key Democratic constituencies: young people, minorities and low-income people."

 

The FBI said it will continue its investigation into Crooks and any other information it can obtain.

 

"This remains an active and ongoing investigation, and anyone with information that may assist with the investigation is encouraged to submit photos or videos online at FBI.gov/butler or call 1-800-CALL-FBI," the statement continued.

 

Fox News Digital's Landon Mion contributed to this report.