Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks was a registered Republican who donated to liberal PAC in 2021
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BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA: Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, fired a series of gunshots at former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, July 13.
According to rally attendees, who spotted the shooter with an AR-style rifle before the incident, he aimed at the presumptive Republican nominee from the rooftop of a building located 130 yards away from the rally stage.
Crooks fired the bullets minutes into Trump's speech, leading the former president to crouch to the ground. The Secret Service agents swarmed Trump to get him to safety, and the shooter was promptly taken down by Secret Service snipers.
The FBI, assisted by the Secret Service and state and local agencies, started a probe into the incident, deeming it an attempted assassination of Trump.
Newer details on Crooks, regarding his political affiliation, criminal history, and education, emerged hours after the unexpected turn of events at the 45th president's rally.
Donald Trump shooter donated to a liberal PAC on the day of President Joe Biden's inauguration in January 2021
Shockingly, the Donald Trump assailant was registered as a Republican voter and the upcoming November election would have been his first time voting in a presidential race.
According to a 2021 Federal Election Commission filing, Crooks, at the age of 17, donated $15 to ActBlue, a left-leaning political action committee, as per Reuters.
Daily Mail reported that the donation was made on January 20, 2021, the day of President Joe Biden's inauguration, days after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol Building in Washington, DC.
"This remains an active and ongoing investigation," said the FBI without revealing further details about Crooks.
While carrying out the shooting, Crooks was apparently wearing a T-shirt from the popular firearms YouTube channel Demolition Ranch, which has over 11 million subscribers, according to NBC News.
Donald Trump shooter has no criminal history
According to Pennsylvania's public court records, Thomas Matthew Crooks had no criminal history, and officials are still trying to figure out what motivated the 20-year-old to shoot Donald Trump.
The shooter graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022 and obtained a $500 "star award" from the National Math and Science Initiative, according to local news outlet The Tribune-Review.
In a video from the 2022 graduation ceremony, Crooks could be seen walking on the stage amid an applauding crowd and posing with a school official with his diploma.
Speaking to CNN, his father, Matthew Crooks, said he was attempting to understand "what the hell is going on" and would "wait until I talk to law enforcement" before discussing his son.
