Former President Donald Trump Injured in Assassination Attempt, Spectator Killed
Former President Donald Trump was shot and injured in an assassination attempt on Saturday night that resulted in the death of a spectator and critically injured two others. The shooter, a 20-year-old man, was killed by snipers after firing eight rounds at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
During the incident, Trump was seen touching his ear as the shots rang out before being shielded by Secret Service agents and escorted offstage with blood on his face. In a social media post, Trump revealed that a bullet had pierced the upper part of his right ear.
“I knew immediately that something was wrong when I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and felt the bullet ripping through my skin,” Trump said. “There was much bleeding, and I realized then what was happening.”
The Secret Service confirmed that Trump was taken to a local hospital and released hours later. Authorities identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. Crooks, armed with a semiautomatic AR-style rifle, had fired from a position about 400 feet away from the stage.
Crooks was a 2022 graduate of Bethel Park High School. Former classmates provided varying accounts of his personality, with some describing him as a “nice kid” and others as a bullied loner. Crooks had no known connections to the military, and his political affiliations were unclear, despite being registered as a Republican voter in Pennsylvania.
Investigators found suspicious devices in the gunman’s vehicle and discovered that Crooks had equipment capable of initiating these devices. The FBI is leading the investigation, with assistance from the Secret Service and local agencies.
The spectator killed was identified as Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old firefighter who was attempting to shield his family from the gunfire. Two others, David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74, remain in critical but stable condition.
President Biden condemned the violence and expressed gratitude for Trump’s safety, emphasizing the need for national unity. The Biden campaign paused all outbound communications in response to the incident.
Trump, expressing gratitude to the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies, stated that Americans need to “remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness,” urging unity and strength in the face of such events. He plans to address the nation from Wisconsin, where the Republican National Convention begins Monday.
