The FBI has identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the shooter in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
The incident occurred during a political rally on Saturday evening.
According to the FBI, Crooks fired multiple shots towards the stage from an elevated position outside the rally venue.
One attendee was killed and two spectators were critically injured, authorities said. All were identified as men.
The Secret Service said it killed the suspected shooter — who it said attacked from an elevated position outside the rally venue, a farm show in Butler, Pennsylvania — and said Trump was safe.
Witnesses at the rally recounted the moments leading up to the shooting. Trump supporter Ryan Knight reported seeing the attacker in a nearby building.
“When I was sitting there, a guy said: ‘Oh God, he had a gun’,” Knight told journalists.
Multiple attendees alerted authorities to the suspicious individual, but the attack occurred before further action could be taken.
Local police confirmed they had received several reports of suspicious activity in the area but did not provide additional details.
US media reported that Crooks was armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.
The attack took place at 6:08 pm (2208 GMT) while Trump was speaking on illegal immigration. Dressed in a white shirt, a dark blazer, and a bright red MAGA cap, Trump was in mid-speech when the shots rang out, abruptly cutting him off.
Trump then grabbed his right ear as repeated shouts of “Get down!” echoed through the crowd.
The former president crouched behind the lectern as Secret Service agents rushed to his side.
Within seconds, more shots were fired, causing panic among the supporters. Additional agents moved to secure the stage, and a final shot was heard 17 seconds after the first, followed by a woman’s scream.
Three heavily armed security personnel arrived on the stage 22 seconds after the shooting began. Agents quickly shared instructions, ensuring the area was clear before lifting Trump to safety.
Trump addressed the incident on his Truth Social site at 8:42 pm, providing his first account of the events.
“I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear,” Trump wrote. “I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin.”
President Joe Biden was briefed on the situation by 6:50 pm, according to the White House.
