What we know about the gunman who shot at Trump at Pennsylvania rally

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses an attempted assassination on former U.S. President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The gunman, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, opened fire with a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle while Trump was speaking on stage. The Secret Service quickly surrounded Trump and rushed him to safety, with one bullet striking him in the right ear. Crooks was shot dead by a Secret Service sniper at the scene. The FBI is investigating the shooting as a potential act of domestic terrorism, but the motive remains unknown.

🙋 Q&A

[01] The Attempted Assassination

1. Who was the gunman that carried out the attempted assassination on Donald Trump? The gunman was identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old resident of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.

2. What weapon did Crooks use in the attack? Crooks used a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle in the attack.

3. How did the Secret Service respond to the shooting? When the shots were fired, Trump was quickly surrounded and rushed to safety by his Secret Service detail. A Secret Service sniper shot and killed Crooks at the scene.

4. What was the outcome of the shooting? One of the bullets struck Trump in the right ear, but he was quickly rushed to safety by the Secret Service. Crooks was shot dead by a Secret Service sniper at the scene.

5. What is the status of the investigation into the shooting? The FBI is investigating the shooting as a potential act of domestic terrorism, but the motive remains unknown. Law enforcement officials are using Crooks' DNA for biometric confirmation, as he was carrying no identification at the time of the attack.

[02] Background on Thomas Matthew Crooks

1. Where did Crooks live and what was his background? Crooks lived in the Pittsburgh suburb of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. He was a recent graduate of Bethel Park High School, where he was reportedly bullied and considered an outcast by his classmates.

2. What were Crooks' political views and affiliations? Crooks was registered to vote as a Republican, but he had also made a $15 contribution to a Democratic-aligned political action committee. His classmates described his political views as "slightly right leaning."

3. How did Crooks obtain the weapon used in the attack? The AR-15 rifle used in the attack was legally purchased by Crooks' father, Matthew.

4. What was Crooks' relationship with his family like? Crooks' uncle, Mark Crooks, said he had not had any contact with his nephew "in years" and was shocked to learn of the attempted assassination.

[03] Security Concerns

1. How did Crooks gain access to the rally location? Crooks fired from the elevated roof of a shed outside of the security perimeter, around 500 feet from where Trump was speaking. A witness said they tried to alert Secret Service agents to a rifle-wielding man they spotted "bear crawling" onto the roof, but the shots were fired before the agents could respond.

2. What questions are being raised about the security measures in place? The FBI is still reviewing the security detail that the Secret Service had in place, and there are questions about how Crooks was able to gain access to the location and what type of weapon he had.