Trump rally shooting: FBI identifies ‘suspect involved’ in assassination attempt

From The Irish Times website

The FBI is treating the shooting in which Donald Trump was shot in the right ear during a campaign rally on Saturday as an assassination attempt and has identified the suspected gunman.

The FBI has identified Thomas Matthew Crooks (20) as the “subject involved”, it said in a statement on Sunday.

Mr Crooks, who was from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was a registered Republican, according to the state’s voter records.

Following the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, about 50km north of Pittsburgh, Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said Mr Trump was “fine” and was checked out at a local medical facility. The former president’s eldest son, Donald Trump jnr, said his father “is in great spirits”.

Secret Service men and women surround Trump after he was shot at the rally.

Mr Trump later flew back to New Jersey ahead of his spending the night at his golf resort in Bedminster. He was seen walking down the stairs of his aircraft after landing in New Jersey early on Sunday, according to a video posted on social media website X by the Trump campaign.

The shooting sparking panic in the crowd and spattering the Republican presidential candidate’s blood across his face, before he emerged and pumped his fist in the air appearing to mouth the words “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

“I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear,” Mr Trump said on his Truth Social platform. “Much bleeding took place.”

As the shots rang out, Mr Trump grabbed his right ear with his right hand, then brought his hand down to look at it before dropping to his knees behind the podium before secret service agents swarmed and covered him. He emerged about a minute later, his red “Make America Great Again” hat knocked off, and could be heard saying “wait, wait”, before agents ushered him into a waiting vehicle.

The shots appeared to come from outside the area secured by the secret service, the agency said.

Mr Trump’s statement on Truth Social media platform said: “I want to thank The United States Secret Service, and all of Law Enforcement, for their rapid response on the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania. Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the Rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured. It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead. I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realised then what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”

Mr Trump had just started his speech when gunshots erupted and Mr Trump and other rally attendees ducked to the ground. Secret service agents swarmed around him, and Mr Trump disappeared behind the podium for about one minute before he was rushed to the waiting vehicle.

Responding to the shooting, US president Joe Biden said: “I have been briefed on the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania. I’m grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well. I’m praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information. Jill and I are grateful to the secret service for getting him to safety. There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.”

The shooting, which came after a major security lapse, will likely reshape this year’s presidential race and fuel long-standing fears the campaign could descend into political violence.

The shooting occurred less than four months before the November 5th election, when Mr Trump faces an rematch with Mr Biden.

Mr Trump and Mr Biden are locked in a close election rematch, with most opinion polls including those by Reuters/Ipsos showing the two evenly matched.

Mr Biden said in a statement: “There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.”

Ron Moose, a Trump supporter who was in the crowd, described the chaos: “I heard about four shots and I saw the crowd go down and then Mr Trump ducked, also real quick. Then the secret service all jumped and protected him as soon as they could. We are talking within a second they were all protecting him.”

Mr Moose said he then saw a man running and being chased by officers in military uniforms. He said he heard additional shots, but was unsure who fired them. He noted that by then snipers had set up on the roof of a warehouse behind the stage.

The BBC interviewed a man who described himself as an witness, saying he saw a man armed with a rifle crawling up a roof near the event. The person, who the BBC did not identify, said he and the people he was with started pointing at the man, trying to alert security.

“I am thinking to myself, why is Trump still speaking? Why have they not pulled him offstage?” said the man, who was wearing a red Trump hat. “Next thing you know, five shots rang out.”

The venue was abandoned with chairs knocked over and yellow police tape around the stage. A helicopter flew above and law enforcement officers walked through the area, the video feed showed. Armed law enforcement officers were also seen on a roof near the stage where Mr Trump was standing.

Mr Trump, who served as president from 2017-2021, easily beat his rivals for the Republican nomination early in the campaign and has largely unified around him the party that had briefly wavered in support after his supporters attacked the US Capitol on January 6th, 2021, attempting to overturn his 2020 election defeat.

Mr Biden’s campaign was working to pause its television ads and halting all other outbound communication, a campaign official said on Saturday. – Reuters