Former President Donald Trump said a bullet grazed his ear in a shooting at his campaign rally in western Pennsylvania, where one rally attendee was killed and two other spectators were injured on Saturday.
The shooter is dead and the scene has been contained, officials said. Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, is “fine” and received treatment at a local medical facility, according to his campaign.
The FBI has identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. In a call with reporters on Sunday, an FBI official said the agency had not yet identified Crooks’ underlying ideology or motive. The FBI is characterizing the shooting as an assassination attempt and is investigating it as domestic terrorism, the official said.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro identified the deceased spectator as 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, the former chief of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company, which is located roughly 15 miles southeast of where the shooting occurred.
“Corey was a girl dad,” Shapiro said at a press conference Sunday afternoon. “Corey was a firefighter. Corey went to church every Sunday. Corey loved his community.”
Comperatore’s family described him as a hero who died protecting his family at the rally, Shapiro said.
The two other spectators injured in the shooting are 57-year-old David Dutch, of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and 74-year-old James Copenhaver, of Moon Township, Pennsylvania, according to state police. Both men are listed in stable condition.
Shots rang out around 6 p.m. while Trump was speaking on stage Saturday at his rally near Butler, Pennsylvania, located roughly 30 miles north of Pittsburgh. Trump appeared to briefly cover his ear before ducking onto the ground with Secret Service agents. Screams were heard from the crowd as the “pop” sounds rang out.
Secret Service agents then rushed Trump off the stage and into a car as he pumped his fist in the air. His ear appeared to be bleeding and there seemed to be blood strewn across his face.
The suspected shooter had fired multiple shots at the stage “from an elevated position outside of the rally venue,” Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement. Secret Service agents “neutralized the shooter, who is now deceased,” Guglielmi said.
Law enforcement officials found multiple suspicious canisters or containers in the suspect’s vehicle in the aftermath of the shooting, NBC News reported, citing two officials. It’s unclear whether they were functional as incendiary or explosive devices.
In a Truth Social post published about three hours after the shooting, Trump said he was “shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear.”
“I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin,” he said. “Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening.”
Trump posted to Truth Social again early Sunday morning, saying in part: “In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win.”
The shooter used a semiautomatic rifle, based on what was found at the scene, three senior U.S. law enforcement officials told NBC News. The FBI said Sunday that it believes Crooks’ father purchased the weapon, but the agency is still investigating how the shooter obtained it.
State records show Crooks was a registered Republican. Federal Election Commission donor data reportedly listed a Thomas Crooks of Pittsburgh as having donated $15 to Act Blue, a political action committee that backs Democrats, in 2021, according to NBC News. It was not clear if that was the same Crooks identified by authorities.
As law enforcement officials investigate the possible motivation behind the attack, details about the shooter’s life are beginning to emerge. A former classmate of the shooter told NBC News that Crooks was “bullied almost every day” in high school.
“He would sit alone at lunch. I mean he was just an outcast,” the classmate said, adding: “It’s honestly kind of sad.”
Crooks’ family is cooperating with investigators, a senior law enforcement official directly briefed on the matter told NBC News.
Biden forcefully condemned the assassination attempt and called for national unity during a primetime address Sunday from the White House’s Oval Office.
“I want to speak to you tonight about the need for us to lower the temperature in our politics,” Biden said. “We must stand together.” He continued: “The power to change America should always rest in the hands of the people, not in the hands of a would-be assassin. … Let’s remember here in America our unity is the most elusive of our goals. Nothing is more important for us now than standing together. We can do this.” Biden quickly decried the violence in the immediate aftermath of the shooting on Saturday, calling it “sick” and calling on all Americans to condemn it. Biden and Trump spoke late Saturday night, the White House said. A White House official described the call as “good, short and respectful,” reported NBC News. Biden said in a statement earlier Saturday that he was grateful to hear Trump is “safe and doing well.” Vice President Kamala Harris also said she was relieved that Trump was not seriously injured. “We are praying for him, his family, and all those who have been injured and impacted by this senseless shooting,” she said in a statement. A doctor at the rally who identified himself as Joseph told NBC News that he witnessed a man getting shot in the back of the head and falling to the bottom of the bleachers. The man appeared to have been instantly killed, he said, adding that a woman nearby also appeared to have been shot in the arm. Shapiro, the Pennsylvania governor, said in a statement that Pennsylvania State Police are working with local and federal law enforcement. “Violence targeted at any political party or political leader is absolutely unacceptable,” the Democratic governor said. “It has no place in Pennsylvania or the United States.” Violence targeted at any political party or political leader is absolutely unacceptable. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said his office is “in contact with those coordinating security planning” for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, which begins on Monday. In a joint statement hours after the shooting unfolded, Trump and the Republican National Committee said the convention would proceed. Violent threats against public officials in the U.S. have been on the rise. Many Democratic and Republican officials similarly issued statements condemning political violence as news about the incident spread. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote on X that he is “horrified” by the incident and relieved that Trump is safe. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he is “praying for President Trump.” Several Republican lawmakers explicitly blamed Biden and Democrats for the shooting in statements on social media before law enforcement officials had publicly identified the shooter and his motivation.
Hayley Miller is the senior breaking news and blogs editor for MS NOW.
Shawn Cox is a blogs editor for MS NOW.
Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News.
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