The FBI said early Sunday that it had identified the man who shot former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler on Saturday as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park.
State voter records show Crooks was a registered Republican, and a Federal Election Commission filing showed he made a $15 donation to the Progressive Turnout Project on Jan. 20, 2021, before he was ancient enough to vote. He graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022, the school district confirmed in a statement.
The US Secret Service announced on Saturday evening that the shooter “fired several shots at the stage from an elevated position outside the venue.” Secret service employees “neutralized the shooter, who is now dead.”
Shortly after the incident, Trump was declared unharmed. The shooting killed one rally spectator and injured two others.
“Tonight there was an assassination attempt on our former President Donald Trump,” said Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office at a press conference delayed Saturday. “We have no identified motive at this time.”
Governor Josh Shapiro identified the man killed on Sunday as Corey Comperatore, who Local news reports identified as former Buffalo Township fire chief. He said flags will fly at half-staff at Commonwealth facilities, public buildings and properties across the state.
“Corey was a girl dad. Corey was a firefighter. Corey went to church every Sunday. Corey especially loved his community, Corey loved his family,” Shapiro said during a press conference. “Corey was an avid supporter of the former president and was so excited to be with him in the community last night. I asked Corey’s wife if it would be OK if I told everyone we spoke. She said yes. She also asked me to tell you all that Corey died a hero. That Corey fell over his family last night at that rally to protect them. Corey was the very best of us. May his memory be a blessing.”
Trump thanked the well-wishers in a post to Truth Social Sunday Morning“Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers yesterday as only God prevented the unthinkable. We will NOT BE AFRAID but will hold fast in our faith and defy evil,” he wrote.
“Our condolences go out to the other victims and their families,” he continued. “We pray for the recovery of those injured and hold in our hearts the memory of the citizen who was so cruelly killed. At this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand united and show our true character as Americans, remain strong and determined and not allow evil to win. I truly love our country and love all of you and look forward to speaking to our great nation from Wisconsin this week.”
At the scene of the shooting at Butler Farm Show Inc., about 40 minutes north of Pittsburgh, crime remained a constant, although authorities said they did not believe there was an ongoing threat.
Anyone who attended the rally or has information is asked to call 1-800-call-fbi or visit fbi.gov/butler.
The shooting began shortly after Trump took the stage around 6 p.m. on Saturday. Several thunderous bangs were heard and a bloodied Trump was dragged off the stage, but not before aiming his fist at the crowd.
Trump confirmed that he had been shot during a Contribution to Truth Social a few hours after the shooting. “I was hit by a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear,” he wrote.
How the shooter was able to get so close to the former president is unclear. Rojek said it was “surprising,” adding: “The Secret Service absolutely has to answer that question. They do the initial site visit, do the initial security assessments, and determine where the various security locations should be. And they are also responsible for securing the crime scene.”
President Joe Biden condemned the shooting in a brief statement from Delaware on Saturday evening. “There is no place for this kind of violence in America,” Biden said.
Republicans in Congress have since launched an investigation into the incident. Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, sent an email to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle asking her to appear at a committee hearing on July 22.
The Trump campaign said on Saturday that the former president, who was released from the hospital and was on his golf course Club in Bedminster, New Jerseywould attend the Republican National Committee in Milwaukee this week as planned. On Thursday, he will receive the GOP’s formal nomination as its presidential candidate for 2023.
