Shots fired at Trump

Shooter identified as 20-year-old Republican

(Bild: Getty Images/JEFF SWENSEN)

Following the shooting of Donald Trump, the FBI has identified the assassin, according to reports in the US media. The shooter apparently grew up near the rally and is said to have been registered as a Republican - but also had a connection to the Democrats.

The shooter is 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park in the state of Pennsylvania, reported the broadcasters NBC and CBS on Sunday, citing the FBI. He was a registered member of Trump's Republican Party.

However, records show that his only known political donation of 15 dollars in 2021 went to Act Blue, a group that supports Democratic candidates.

Watch out! There are already countless false reports circulating about his identity. This fake is particularly widespread:

"The investigation remains active and ongoing," the FBI stated. The shooter had no prior convictions listed in Pennsylvania public court records. The background to the crime is still unclear.

This video purports to show the shooter at his high school graduation:

Crooks appears to have graduated in 2022 from Bethel Park High School, which has about 1,400 students. That year, he received a $500 "Star Award" from the National Math and Science Initiative, according to the Tribune-Review in western Pennsylvania.

Trump only just survived
According to Trump himself, he was injured in the ear by the shots. According to the authorities, in addition to the suspected shooter, one bystander was killed and two others were seriously injured. A photographer from the New York Times apparently captured the moment when a bullet whizzed past Trump's ear.

Meanwhile, the former US president landed in New Jersey near New York. His campaign team published a video on X showing him leaving his plane.

Speech lasted only a few minutes
The attack occurred as Trump was about to begin his speech at the campaign rally in the small town of Butler, Pennsylvania. After the shots were fired, Secret Service officers pulled the ex-president to the ground and eventually brought him to safety. According to the Secret Service, the attacker had fired several shots "from an elevated position" outside the venue. The shooter was then "neutralized".

The Pennsylvania State Police stated that the first priority was to determine the motive of the perpetrator. In addition, it must be clarified quickly whether there were other people involved. The investigation could take days, weeks or months.