What we know so far

Trump assassination: shooter pulled trigger from here

(Bild: Getty Images/Anna Moneymaker, Google Maps)

A nation is in shock: a 20-year-old attempted to shoot Donald Trump during a campaign appearance. The ex-president apparently escaped death by just a few centimetres. A failure on the part of the security forces is in question - what we know so far about the course of events.

Poof! Poof! Poof! Three hissing noises followed by chaos. At a Donald Trump campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, fire was opened at the presidential candidate.

According to Trump himself, he was hit in the right ear and the shooter was "neutralized" by the Secret Service after a few seconds. But why was Thomas Matthew Crooks (20), identified by the FBI, able to fire a shot at all?

Blatant security breaches?
The Trump rally took place in the small town of Butler. The venue is rural, with only a few houses in the surrounding area, as Krone research shows.

The shooter's body was found about 130 meters away from Trump.

(Bild: Google Maps/Krone KREATIV)

According to Butler police, "suspicious activity" had been reported to them several times BEFORE the shooting. An eyewitness told the BBC he saw the gunman climb onto the roof of a low building outside the security perimeter with a rifle. He said he called nearby police officers to alert them to the potential danger.

The snipers "neutralized" the suspected assassin.

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/Gene J. Puskar)

The officers seemed confused and did not immediately respond to the warning, he said. "The next thing I knew, five shots were fired," the eyewitness described the historic moments. "The secret service shot his head off. They climbed up on the roof, had their guns on him, made sure he was dead, he was dead, and that was it, it was over."

Hours after the attempted assassination, the situation is still unclear. It will probably be weeks before all the details have been clarified. Here is an overview of what we know for sure.

What is known about the shooter?
US media reported unanimously that the FBI had identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park in Pennsylvania. He was a registered member of Trump's Republican Party. However, it is striking that his only political donation of 15 dollars went to a Democratic group. The background to the crime is unclear and the investigation is ongoing.

According to official reports, Crooks fired two volleys in Trump's direction. First three, then five shots. These accounts are consistent with videos of the incident. According to initial findings, the shooter had taken up a position on a roof about 130 meters from the stage and opened fire.

The Secret Service also reported that the attacker had fired several shots from an "elevated position" outside the venue. It then took a few seconds for the suspected assassin to be captured and "neutralized" by snipers.

A video apparently shows the shooter on the roof near the stage:

Two police officers told The New York Times that authorities found an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle next to the shooter's body. The rifle is outwardly almost identical to the M16 assault rifle that the manufacturer Colt sells to the military. 

The AR-15 is the version for civilians. Unlike the military version, this weapon is technically not capable of continuous fire. Experienced shooters can nevertheless fire a large number of shots in a very short time. Semi-automatic weapons can be easily converted with the help of accessories to enable rapid fire, just like machine guns.

The rifle is always at the center of debates about the loose gun laws in the USA, as it is mostly used by people who run amok. 

How was the event secured?
The central question is how the suspected assassin managed to get onto the roof of a building while a former and potentially future US president was speaking just a few meters away.

Strict checks

• Before the events begin, the location is searched for bombs and other potential dangers are also checked.
• Trump always travels to the rallies in a motorcade.
• Visitors have to pass through metal detectors and are checked for weapons.
• Trump has more bodyguards than his predecessors, partly because he is once again a presidential candidate.

A representative of the FBI told reporters that it was surprising that the suspect was able to fire several shots. According to media reports, the shooter was outside the so-called security area.

Former Secret Service agent Paul Eckloff told Reuters news agency that Secret Service agents routinely monitor all rooftops with a view of the rally. "This person was either hiding until they became a threat or they weren't a threat until they showed their weapons."

Scenes of the attempted assassination:

Campaign rallies are incredibly difficult to secure. Trump's appearances are often - as in the current case - held outdoors. In spacious parks, at trade fair grounds or on golf courses. These events are also attended by thousands of people. 

How is Donald Trump?
The Republican had just started his speech when the shots rang out. The 78-year-old grabbed his right ear with his right hand, then lowered his hand to look at it and dropped to his knees behind the podium. Secret Service agents immediately surrounded him.

A New York Times photographer apparently captured the historic moment when a bullet whizzed past Trump's ear:

Trump used the moment to fire up his audience. He turned to the crowd with traces of blood on his face, raised his fist and shouted: "Fight! Fight! Fight!" Secret Service agents then took him to a black SUV. The 78-year-old ex-president was examined on the spot at a medical facility.

On his online platform Truth Social, Trump described how a bullet had "pierced the upper part of my right ear". It is "unbelievable that such an act can happen in our country". Trump later got out of his plane without help, as can be seen on a video released by his press team. The injured ear was not visible. Trump also thanked "the security forces and first responders for their quick actions during this terrible act".

In addition to the suspected shooter, one bystander died and two others were seriously injured, according to the authorities.