Official cause of death of shooter at Trump rally announced

Authorities in Pennsylvania have announced the cause of death of Thomas Matthew Crooks. who opened fire at a rally for former President Donald Trump on Saturday, July 13.

The 20-year-old shooter died of a gunshot wound to the head, the Butler County Coroner’s Office confirmed to PEOPLE. The shooter was killed immediately after the shooting, the Secret Service said at the time.

The cause of death was ruled a homicide, the medical examiner’s office told PEOPLE, noting that “homicide” refers only to death at the hands of another person.

Trump, 78, suffered bloody injuries but survived the shooting, saying a bullet pierced “the top part” of his right ear.

One participant, identified as Corey Comperatore, 50, was killed in the shooting and two others were seriously injured.

The FBI, which is investigating the attack, said the shooting was an “assassination attempt” on the Republican Party candidate.

The 20-year-old shooter was registered as a Republican voter, official records show, AP, Reuters and The New York Times reported. In 2021, when the shooter would not have been eligible to vote, he made a $15 donation to a political action committee that supports Democratic politicians.

Authorities are still investigating the shooter’s motive.

Police officials say they found bomb-making materials in his car. The Wall Street Journal, CNN, The New York Times and the Associated Press have already reported. Explosives were also discovered in the shooter’s house, according to AP. Just and CNN.

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President Joe Biden has since condemned the shooting several times. On Sunday, he said at a press conference: “We cannot allow something like this to happen in America.”

“Unity is the hardest goal of all, but nothing is as important right now as this. Unity. We will debate and we will disagree,” he said. “That will not change, but we will not lose sight of who we are as Americans.”