Washington, D.C. — Former President Donald Trump survived a deadly assassination attempt while speaking at a campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania. The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired eight rounds from an AR-15–style rifle from the roof of a nearby building, striking Trump in the upper right ear.
The attack also killed one rally attendee, Corey Comperatore, and critically injured two others. Crooks was killed by the U.S. Secret Service Counter Sniper Team shortly after opening fire.
The shooting occurred at approximately 6:11 p.m. local time at the Butler Farm Show Grounds.
Crooks had purchased a ladder earlier that day but ultimately climbed an air-conditioning unit and traversed interconnected roofs to reach his firing position about 400 to 450 feet from the stage. Despite the presence of three police snipers assigned to the rally, none were positioned on the roof Crooks occupied, partly due to personnel shortages and obstructed views caused by trees and the roof’s slope. Several bystanders spotted Crooks on the roof and alerted police minutes before the shooting.
A local law enforcement officer first reported the presence of a person on the roof at 6:08 p.m., prompting a search operation.
During this, Crooks aimed his rifle at an officer attempting to climb the roof, causing the officer to fall and injure his ankle. About 40 seconds later, Crooks opened fire on the rally crowd. A member of the Butler County Emergency Services Unit shot at Crooks and hit his rifle, preventing further shots. The Secret Service then fatally shot Crooks.
The FBI is leading the ongoing investigation, treating the incident as both an assassination attempt and an act of domestic terrorism. Explosives were found at Crooks’s home and in his vehicle. Analysis of his electronic devices revealed searches related to Trump, other political figures, dates of rallies, and historical assassination details, including the distance of Lee Harvey Oswald from President John F. Kennedy during his assassination. Investigators also noted Crooks flew a drone near the rally site two hours before the attack19.
A congressional task force led by Pennsylvania Representative Mike Kelly released a report highlighting security failures that contributed to the attack. The report criticized law enforcement for failing to secure the building Crooks used, inadequate communication among agencies, insufficient Secret Service manpower, and failure to block clear lines of sight to Trump from outside the rally perimeter.
Trump was quickly surrounded by Secret Service agents
after being shot and was treated for his wound.
The attack left seven injured in total, including three from gunfire and four officers hurt by debris. The rally was immediately halted, and Trump was transported to a hospital for treatment.
This assassination attempt is one of several security incidents involving Donald Trump throughout his political career. It has intensified scrutiny on the protection measures for high-profile political figures and raised concerns about domestic terrorism threats in the United States.
