Attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Pennsylvania

On July 13, 2024, Thomas Matthew Crooks shot Donald Trump, who was running for a second term as the President of the United States, during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. People at the rally and in videos have shown that Trump was bleeding from his right ear after the shooting. He put his fist into the air for a few seconds. He was quickly brought to a vehicle afterwards. He was brought to the hospital. The shooter and a spectator were killed. Trump and two others were injured.

People at the rally and reporters said that multiple shots were fired. New York Times photographer Doug Mills was at the rally. He reported that three to four gunshots were heard.

The incident is being investigated as an assassination attempt. It was the first time a current or former U.S. president or presidential candidate had been shot since the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan in 1981.

 Aftermath 
United States Secret Service agents protected Trump as he raised his fist. A spokesman for the Secret Service confirmed that "an incident occurred" and said that Trump was "safe." According to campaign spokesman Steven Cheung, he was examined shortly at a local medical facility. Security at Trump Tower has been increased by the New York City Police Department. Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was cleared for Secret Service protection two days after the assassination attempt on Trump. Kennedy had previously requested Secret Service protection, but his request was denied by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Kennedy instead used a private security company for the duration of his presidential campaign. The Trump campaign organized a GoFundMe fundraising campaign for rally attendees who were injured or killed, raising more than $2 million as of July 14.  The FBI is investigating with the National Security Division of the United States Department of Justice, the United States Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, may after the attempted 'assassination. The incident is being investigated as an attempted murder, and also as an act of domestic terrorism. President Biden has ordered an independent investigation into federal security provided by the Secret Service to understand how the shooter nearly assassinated Trump in full transparency. The conclusions of this investigation will be made public. Additionally, Biden directed the Secret Service to re-evaluate all security protocols for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where Trump was to be officially nominated as the Republican presidential candidate on November 5. The Secret Service acknowledges having rejected requests for additional federal resources requested by former President Donald Trump's security services since 2022. On July 22, 2024, Kimberly Cheatle testified before the House Oversight Committee about the assassination attempt. During the hearing, she acknowledged it was "the most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades" and faced a bipartisan chorus of lawmakers calling for her to resign. However, she pledged not to resign.

Shooting
The shooter hit at least four people with bullets. One was Donald Trump. One was Corey Comperatore, who died. He was 50 years old. He was a firefighter. When he heard the gunshots, he jumped on top of his family. The bullet hit him and not them.

The shooter also hit two men who lived: David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74. Both men are from Pennsylvania. U.S. representative Ronny Jackson said a bullet had grazed his nephew's neck.

Trump was shot in the upper right ear. He raised a hand to the ear before dropping down on the podium behind the lectern for cover. Secret Service agents lunged toward Trump and shielded him. After about twenty-five seconds, agents helped Trump get up, by which time blood was seen on Trump's ear and face, and he told Secret Service agents to "Let me get my shoes. Let me get my shoes." Trump then raised his fist and pumped it at the crowd while mouthing the word "fight", with the crowd responding with cheers and chants of "U-S-A!" He was then escorted to a vehicle and taken to a nearby hospital.

Shooter
The shooter was Thomas Matthew Crooks. He lived in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. That is about 43 miles from Butler, Pennsylvania. He was 20 years old. He was not old enough to vote in the 2020 United States presidential election. Still, he could have voted in state or local elections after he became 18 years old. Pennsylvania's voting records say Crooks was a member of the Republican Party, the same as Donald Trump. But Crooks also gave US$15 to ActBlue, a liberal group, when he was 17 years old. The FBI said there was “no indication of mental health issues” regarding Crooks. 

Different people say different things about Crooks. Some people who went to school with him say he was quiet, and people bullied him. Some say he was smart and nice. As of July 2024, the FBI does not know why Crooks shot at the Trump rally. 

Before the shooting, Crooks had searched for images and public appearances of Trump and Joe Biden, as well as Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher A. Wray.

Investigators also discovered that a message attributed to him had been posted on the gaming platform Steam, saying "July 13th will be my first, see how it goes." » However, it is not yet clear whether the message was legitimate or not.

Raised fist picture
Photographer Evan Vucci of the Associated Press took images of a bloodied Trump pumping his fist in the air, surrounded by Secret Service members, and with an American flag in the background. The photos quickly spread on social media and television and were widely shown by his most well known allies, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee, his family members, and Republican members of Congress. The image has been one of the most covered moments of the shooting.

 Responses 

 Federal 
President Joe Biden was asked about this incident.

Representative Ruben Gallego, Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, and Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro made statements against political violence.

Businessman Elon Musk supported Trump after the shooting.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro denounced political violence. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who ran against Trump in the 2024 Republican primaries, said that he and his wife were praying for Trump.

House Speaker Mike Johnson pledged to open an investigation into the shooting, seeking testimony from federal law enforcement and national security officials. Republican senators urged the Democratic-controlled Senate to also hold hearings.

 Donald Trump  
Donald Trump reacted with a long press release on his social network Truth Social. He thanked the speed of action of the security forces and sent his condolences to the family of the deceased, as well as his thoughts to those injured during the attack. He also expressed his feelings during the attack: "I immediately knew something was wrong when I heard a shrill noise, shots, and immediately felt the bullet pass through my skin."

The Trump Campaign organized a GoFundMe fundraising campaign for the rally goers who were wounded or killed, raising over $2 million within twenty-four hours of the shooting.

 International 
Many political leaders, including Justin Trudeau of Canada, Javier Milei of Argentina, and Emmanuel Macron of France, condemned the shooting.

 References 

Category:July 2024 events
Category:Donald Trump
Category:2024 crimes
Category:2024 in the United States
Category:2020s in Pennsylvania
Category:Failed assassination attempts