Newsman: The man who authorities said attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania was identified Saturday night by the FBI as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. He was killed by a Secret Service sniper, officials said. He is a member of a local gun club and worked as a dietary aide at a nursing facility.
The shooter used a semiautomatic rifle; three senior U.S. law enforcement officials said based on what was found at the scene. Investigators are looking into whether the gun belonged to his father and had been purchased legally, according to two senior law enforcement officials.
He is believed to have fired eight shots before he was taken down, said an official, citing preliminary findings.
Multiple suspicious canisters or containers were found in the shooter’s vehicle, but it’s unclear whether they were functional as incendiary or explosive devices, two officials said.
Crooks’ family is cooperating with investigators. His motive remains unclear, said a senior law enforcement official who was briefed on the matter.
The Defense Department confirmed that Crooks had no affiliation with the U.S. military.
He was a member of the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club in Pittsburgh. The facility has various shooting ranges, including a 200-yard rifle range, as well as pistol ranges and indoor and outdoor archery ranges.
In a statement, the FBI said:
“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. 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.”
Federal investigators said the gunman was not carrying identification, so they analyzed his DNA to provide a biometric confirmation of his identity.
Crooks was from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, a Pittsburgh suburb about an hour south of Butler. The town in Allegheny County is home to about 30,000 people and has one high school with about 1,300 students.
Bethel Park School District confirmed to CBS Pittsburgh station KDKA that Crooks was a 2022 graduate of Bethel Park High School. School officials pledged to work with law enforcement investigating the shooting, and offered condolences to those affected by the attack.
