By Kim Lyons and Ian Karbal, Pennsylvania Capital-Star, July 14, 2024
The FBI said early Sunday it had identified the man who shot former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler on Saturday as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park. Crooks was killed at the scene.
Trump was pronounced safe shortly after the incident. Corey Comperatore, 50, of Sarver, who was at the rally with his family, was killed in the shooting and two others were injured. Local news reports identified Comperatore as a former fire chief for Buffalo Township.
“Tonight we had what we’re calling an assassination attempt on our former president, Donald Trump,” Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek of the FBI Pittsburgh field office said at a press conference late Saturday. “We do not currently have an identified motive.”
Gov. Josh Shapiro on Sunday said flags will be flown at half-staff at Commonwealth facilities, public buildings, and grounds across the state.
“Corey was a girl dad. Corey was a firefighter. Corey went to church every Sunday. Corey loved his community most especially, Corey loved his family,” Shapiro said during a press conference. “Corey was an avid supporter of the former president, was so excited to be there last night with him in the community. I asked Corey’s wife if it would be OK for me to share that we spoke. She said yes. She also asked that I share with all of you that Corey died a hero. That Corey dove on his family to protect them last night at this rally. Corey was the very best of us. May his memory be a blessing.”
Pennsylvania State Police identified the other two victims as David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township. Both were listed in stable condition Sunday afternoon, PSP said.
“These victims and their families are certainly in our thoughts today,” state police Col. Christopher Paris said Sunday. “The Pennsylvania State Police continue to work tirelessly alongside our federal, state and local partners as this investigation continues.”
State voter records show Crooks was a registered Republican, and a Federal Election Commission filing showed he made a $15 donation on Jan, 20, 2021 to the “Progressive Turnout Project,” before he would have been old enough to vote. He was a 2022 graduate of Bethel Park High School, the school district confirmed in a statement.
The U.S. Secret Service said Saturday night that the shooter “fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue.”
Trump thanked well-wishers in a post to Truth Social Sunday morning. “Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers yesterday, as it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening. We will FEAR NOT, but instead remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness,” he wrote.
“Our love goes out to the other victims and their families,” he continued. “We pray for the recovery of those who were wounded, and hold in our hearts the memory of the citizen who was so horribly killed. 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. I truly love our Country, and love you all, and look forward to speaking to our Great Nation this week from Wisconsin.”
The site of the shooting at the Butler Farm Show Inc. about 40 minutes north of Pittsburgh, remained an active crime scene, although authorities said they did not believe there was any ongoing threat.
Anyone who attended the rally or has information is asked to call 1-800-call-fbi, or go to fbi.gov/butler.
The shooting began shortly after Trump took the stage at about 6 p.m. Saturday. Several loud pops could be heard and a bloodied Trump was whisked from the stage, but not before pumping his fist toward the crowd.
Trump confirmed he was shot in a post to Truth Social a few hours after the shooting. “I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear,” he wrote.
How the shooter was able to get so close to the former president was not clear. Rojek said it was “surprising,” and added “the Secret Service really needs to answer that question, they conduct the initial site survey, they do the initial security assessments and determine where the different security locations should be, and they’re the ones who are in charge of securing the scene.”
President Joe Biden condemned the shooting in a brief statement from Delaware Saturday night. “There’s no place in America for this kind of violence,” Biden said.
Congressional Republicans, meanwhile, have initiated an investigation into the incident. U.S. Rep. James Comer (R-Kentucky), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, sent an email to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle requesting her to appear at a committee hearing July 22.
The Trump campaign said Saturday the former president, who was out of the hospital and at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, would attend the Republican National Committee in Milwaukee this week as planned. He will receive the GOP’s formal nomination as its 2024 presidential candidate on Thursday.
Updated at 8:40 a.m. July 14, 2024 with new Truth Social post from Trump, and at 12:15 p.m. and 3 p.m. with additional details.
Editor’s note: This article was republished from the Pennsylvania Capital-Star under a Creative Commons license.