What we know about Trump rally shooting victims, shooter and gun

August 21, 2024

Former president Donald Trump said he was shot in the ear at his Saturday rally, as TV cameras captured the dramatic moment when he ducked from the lectern mid-speech and the sounds of gunfire popped. The FBI said that it was investigating it as a potential assassination attempt and that the shooter was Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pa. President Biden called on Americans to “cool it down” during an address from the Oval Office on Sunday evening, referring to what he called “very heated” political rhetoric. Here’s what we know.

The facts

The FBI hasn’t identified a motive for the gunman, special agent Kevin Rojek said. Officials said the shooter’s father legally purchased the AR-style rifle used in the attack, but there’s no evidence the father bought it for his son. Investigators haven’t found indications of mental health issues in the shooter’s behavior, Rojek said.
Three spectators were shot, one who was killed and two who were critically injured. The shooter was also killed. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) identified the spectator who was killed as Butler County, Pa., resident Corey Comperatore.
Trump went to Milwaukee on Sunday for the Republican National Convention, as planned. Biden said in a news conference Sunday afternoon that he directed the Secret Service to ensure Trump’s continued safety and to review security protocol at the convention, which begins Monday.
Republicans and Democrats denounced the violence. Some of Trump’s top allies blamed Biden and his supporters of using rhetoric that spurred the attack, while other politicians urged Americans to avoid making the attack about politics
Lawmakers have said they will investigate the attack, demanding documents and testimony from the U.S. Secret Service. House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) called for Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to appear before the committee next week.

The shooter

Investigators haven’t “identified an ideology associated” with the gunman, Rojek said. The shooter used an AR-style rifle chambered in 5.56mm, a common caliber for such weapons, Rojek said.

“The information that we have indicates that the shooter acted alone and that there are currently no public safety concerns,” Rojek said.

Authorities are investigating explosive material found in the gunman’s vehicle, Rojek said. In an update Sunday night, the FBI said it found a second “suspicious device” in his home. Both devices were rendered safe and the materials are being analyzed by the agency’s lab, the statement said, adding that investigators were trying to determine Crooks’s movements before the shooting.

Biden asked for patience in the investigation.

“I urge everyone, everyone, please don’t make assumptions about his motives or his affiliations,” he said in his afternoon news conference. “Let the FBI do their job, and their partner agencies do their job.”

The victims

Comperatore was an avid supporter of the former president and was at the rally with his family, Shapiro said. He died shielding his family from the bullets.

Two victims were taken to Allegheny General Hospital, a trauma center about 30 miles away in Pittsburgh. Both seriously injured victims — David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, Pa., and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, Pa. — were in critical condition, according to Candace Herrington, a hospital spokeswoman.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) on July 14 said Corey Comperatore was killed protecting his family from shots at a rally for former president Donald Trump. (Video: The Washington Post)

Reactions

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called the shooting “despicable,” and several Republicans lauded the former president. “We all know President Trump is stronger than his enemies,” North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) said on X, sharing a photo of a bloodied Trump raising his fist after the shooting. “Today he showed it.”

Some industry leaders like Tesla CEO Elon Musk and hedge fund manager Bill Ackman formally endorsed Trump in the aftermath of the shooting.

In a social media post Sunday morning, Trump thanked supporters for their thoughts and prayers, saying “it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening.”

“Our love goes out to the other victims and their families,” Trump posted on his social media platform.

He added: “In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand united.”

Biden, who spoke to Trump following the attack, addressed the nation Sunday night calling for calm and unity. “It’s time to cool it down,” Biden said, referring to the heated political rhetoric across the country.

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), who like Burgum is being touted as a possible running mate for Trump, blamed Biden for the attack.

“The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs,” Vance wrote on X. “That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) told Americans to “focus on the tragedy of what happened here” and avoid making it about politics.

Dave McCormick, a Republican running for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania told The Washington Post that the “overcharged rhetoric” on both sides of the aisle contributed to the attack, and he noted a “dehumanizing” political environment.

On July 14, lawmakers from both parties urged the country to come together after the July 13 shooting at a Pennsylvania rally for former president Donald Trump. (Video: The Washington Post)

What’s next?

The attack happened two days before the start of the Republican National Convention, to be held Monday through Thursday in Milwaukee, where Trump is set to be selected as the Republican presidential nominee. Trump advisers told aides that the convention will continue as planned; the focus is likely to be more on Trump’s “courage and his resilience,” a person close to him told The Washington Post, adding that planners want speakers to dial down the rhetoric.

Ron Kaufman, a Republican National Committee delegate from Massachusetts, said the mood in Milwaukee ahead of the convention was one of “shock and disbelief.”

“There’s a feeling,” Kaufman wrote in a text message, “that the Democrats’ constant pounding on President Trump as ‘a threat to democracy’ leads to this.”

Trump has himself often used inflammatory language, calling his political enemies “vermin” and warning of a “bloodbath” if he does not win in November.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson (D) said he joined a bipartisan coalition that successfully lobbied Congress to increase the grant for convention security from $60 million to $75 million.

“We want to make sure we have not just a safe convention,” Johnson said, “but a safe city.”

Devlin Barrett, Annie Gowen, Colby Itkowitz, Michael Scherer, Brittany Shammas, Praveena Somasundaram and Perry Stein contributed to this report.

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