Washington: Thomas Matthew Crooks, the gunman accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump, was a 20-year-old registered Republican who would have cast his first vote in the upcoming presidential election in November. He resided in Bethel Park, a suburb of Pittsburgh located approximately 56 km south of the Trump rally site where the incident occurred.
Crooks was fatally shot by Secret Service personnel on Saturday shortly after firing shots at Trump from an elevated position outside the rally venue. According to law enforcement officials, he had previously made a small contribution to a Democratic-aligned group, as reported by CNN citing public records.
He graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022, as confirmed by local media and a school commencement video. Voter registration records from Pennsylvania indicate that Crooks was registered as a Republican, matching his name, age, and address in Bethel Park, which was investigated by law enforcement.
This year's presidential election would have been Crooks' first opportunity to vote, as he became eligible upon turning 18 on or before Election Day, November 5, 2024, according to CNN. Federal Election Commission records show that a Thomas Crooks from the same address donated $15 to a Democratic-aligned political action committee, the Progressive Turnout Project, in January 2021.
Following the attack on Trump, CNN reached out to Crooks' father, Matthew Crooks, who expressed shock and indicated he would wait to speak further until after consulting with law enforcement.
Identifying Crooks initially proved challenging as he did not have any identification on him. FBI's Pittsburgh field office Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek stated in a press conference Saturday night that agents had to verify his identity through DNA and biometric confirmation before naming him.
Authorities reported one fatality and two critically injured attendees at the rally as a result of the incident. PTI
Published: 14 Jul 2024, 05:14 pm IST
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