Victim and shooter of Trump assassination attempt at Butler rally identified • Michigan Advance

Updated, 19:50, 14.07.24

The FBI said early Sunday that 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 unharmed 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 Buffalo Township fire chief.

“Tonight there was an assassination attempt on our former President Donald Trump,” said Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office at a press conference late Saturday. “We have no identified motive at this time.”

Governor Josh Shapiro said Sunday that flags at Commonwealth facilities, public buildings and properties across the state would fly at half-staff.

“Corey was a father of girls. Corey was a firefighter. Corey went to church every Sunday. Corey especially loved his community, Corey loved his family,” Shapiro said during a press conference. “Corey was an avid supporter of the former president and was so excited to be with him in the community last night. I asked Corey’s wife if it would be OK if I told everyone we spoke. She said yes. She also asked me to tell you all that Corey died a hero. That Corey fell over his family last night at that rally to protect them. 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 in stable condition Sunday afternoon, the PSP said.

“These victims and their families are in our thoughts today,” State Trooper Col. Christopher Paris said Sunday. “The Pennsylvania State Police continue to work tirelessly with 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 to the Progressive Turnout Project on Jan. 20, 2021, before he was old enough to vote. He graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022, the school district confirmed in a statement.

The US Secret Service said on Saturday evening that the gunman “fired several shots at the stage from an elevated position outside the rally site.”

Trump thanked well-wishers in a post to Truth Social on Sunday morning. “Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers yesterday, for only God prevented the unthinkable. We will NOT BE AFRAID, but will stand firm in our faith and defy evil,” he wrote.

“Our condolences go out to the other victims and their families,” he continued. “We pray for the recovery of those injured and hold in our hearts the memory of the citizen who was so cruelly killed. At this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand united and show our true character as Americans, remain strong and determined and not allow evil to win. I truly love our country and love all of you and look forward to speaking to our great nation from Wisconsin this week.”

At the scene of the shooting at Butler Farm Show Inc., about 40 minutes north of Pittsburgh, crime remained a constant, although authorities said they did not believe there was an ongoing threat.

The shooting began shortly after Trump took the stage around 6 p.m. on Saturday. Several loud bangs were heard and a bloodied Trump was dragged off the stage, but not before aiming his fist at the crowd.

Trump confirmed in a post on Truth Social a few hours after the shooting that he had been shot. “I was struck by 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 is unclear. Rojek said it was “surprising,” adding: “The Secret Service absolutely has to answer that question. They do the initial site visit, do the initial security assessments, and determine where the various security locations should be. And they are also responsible for securing the crime scene.”

President Joe Biden condemned the shooting in a brief statement from Delaware on Saturday evening. “There is no place for this kind of violence in America,” Biden said.

Republicans in Congress have since launched an investigation into the incident. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Kentucky) sent an email to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle requesting that she appear at a committee hearing on July 22.

The Trump campaign said Saturday that the former president, who has been released from the hospital and is at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, will attend the Republican National Committee in Milwaukee this week as planned. On Thursday, he will receive the official Republican nomination as the 2024 presidential candidate.

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