Donald Trump was shot in the ear during an election rally
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has identified Thomas Matthew Crooks as the suspected gunman behind the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump, it said in a statement today.
Crooks, 20, was killed by security officials when he allegedly opened fire on the 78-year-old Republican presidential candidate, wounding his ear, during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
He was registered as a Republican, according to state voter records.
“The FBI has identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the subject involved in the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania,” the FBI said in a statement quoted by NBC and CBS.
Law enforcement officials previously told reporters that they had tentatively identified the suspected shooter but were not prepared to do so publicly. They also said they had not yet identified the motive. The FBI, the lead federal law enforcement agency in the investigation, said the shooting was being treated as “an assassination attempt” on the former president.
Trump was hit in the ear in the shocking shooting, which killed a bystander and seriously injured two others. He was quickly chased off stage by US Secret Service agents, with blood visible on his face.
The gunshots were heard as Trump was just beginning to speak at his final rally before the Republican National Convention.
Thousands of his supporters were present when the shooting, which was captured live on news channels, took place.
Donald Trump says part of right ear pierced by bullet
Donald Trump, in his first account of an attack at a rally, said: “I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear.”
“I immediately knew something was wrong because I heard a whooshing sound and shots and immediately felt the bullet tear through the skin,” Trump said on his Truth Social site.
“A lot of bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening,” he added.
He also thanked the Secret Service and law enforcement for their “quick response.”
“It is unbelievable that such an act can take place in our country,” he said.
The shocking incident took place less than four months before the November 5 US presidential election, when Trump faces a re-election contest against Democratic President Joe Biden.