Official FBI statements or press releases

FBI Identifies 20-Year-Old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park as Trump Rally Shooter

Jul 14, 2024, 10:19 AM

The FBI has identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the gunman who shot at former President Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Crooks, a registered Republican, fired multiple shots from an elevated position 130 yards away, killing one spectator and critically injuring two others. Trump was shot through the ear but survived. An AR-15-style rifle was recovered at the scene, and Crooks was shot dead during the incident. Authorities found bomb-making materials in his vehicle, and Crooks was wearing a 'Demolitia' t-shirt. He had made a $15 donation to a liberal PAC on Biden’s Inauguration Day. A motive for the attack has yet to be determined.