14 July 2024 , 18:52
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Guman Thomas Matthew Crooks, the ’lone wolf’ who carried out a failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump during a rally, was killed by law enforcement agents
The father of the man shot dead after a failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump has spoken out.
The former US President was sniped on Saturday as he delivered a speech at a rally in Pennsylvania, with a bullet ripping through his right ear whilst on stage. Around six minutes into his speech in Butler, Mr Trump abruptly stopped speaking and reached for the side of his face before falling to the ground for cover.
Loud bangs echoed throughout the crowd and blood was seen dripping down the 78-year-old’s face before further shots rang out to "neutralise" the assailant. One attendee was killed and two were left critically injured.
Trump fell to the ground for cover as Secret Service agents shielded him ( Image: Getty Images)
Footage from the event captured Trump being shielded by a group of Secret Service agents. The gunman, named as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot dead by law enforcement agents on a roof more than 130 yards away, where his body was later seen covered in blood.
Trump was treated at a hospital before being discharged and flying back to New Jersey that evening. Crooks has been described as a "lone wolf", although the FBI investigation into his motive and background is still ongoing.
Crooks’ father, Matthew Crooks, 53, told CNN that before speaking about his son, he was trying to figure out what happened and would wait until he spoke to law enforcement. The son, from Bethel Park - a village in Pennsylvania around 40 miles south of where the Butler rally was being held, is thought to have used an AR-style rifle to shoot Trump, which was later recovered by officers after he was shot dead.
Kevin Rojek, FBI special agent in charge said during a press briefing: "We’re looking at photographs right now and we’re trying to run his DNA and get biometric confirmation." The FBI officially confirmed Crooks as the “subject involved” in the attack on Trump on Sunday morning.
Law enforcement officers move during a rally ( Image: Getty Images)
According to sources, he was stationed on the roof of a nearby manufacturing plant more than 130 yards away from the stage where Trump was addressing crowds in Butler. The former president took to social media platform Truth Social to share further details on his injuries. He said: “I 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. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening.”
Trump sent his condolences to the family of the dead rally-goer and thanked law enforcement for their speedy response. Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign said he is "fine" and will still attend a convention in Milwaukee next week.
US President Joe Biden condemned the attack as "sick", adding: “We cannot be like this, we cannot condone this. Everybody must condemn it”, reported Bloomberg. Biden spoke with Trump following the incident after cutting short his weekend in Rehoboth Beach and returning back to the White House.
It marks the first assassination attempt on a presidential candidate since President Ronald Reagan was shot and rushed into an emergency surgery after a speaking engagement in 1981.