FBI Confirms Shooting Was Assassination Attempt on Trump, Says Probing Case as ‘Domestic Terrorism’

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has now confirmed that the violent shooting against Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 13, was in fact an assassination attempt on the ex-president. The shooter, now identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, perched on a rooftop outside the venue. Interestingly, Crooks was a registered Republican.

Trump survived the shooting with a minor graze to his right ear, fist pumping to the audience before being carried away by the Secret Service. Stray bullets however killed one rallygoer and severely injured two others. The FBI announced that it is investigating the incident as 'domestic terrorism,' with the attacker's motive yet to be known.

According to an email statement from the agency to Axios, searches of the suspect's car and Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, house led to 'suspicious devices' that were "rendered safe by bomb technicians" and are currently being "evaluated at the FBI Laboratory." Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of FBI Pittsburgh, informed media that the firearm utilized by the shooter, who was killed at the scene, was a lawfully purchased 'AR-style 556 rifle' by Crooks' father.

In an email, the FBI stated that although their investigation "indicates the shooter acted alone," they "continue to conduct logical investigative activity to determine if there were any co-conspirators associated with this attack." The message also assured that there were "no current public safety concerns." The FBI's National Security Branch executive assistant director, Robert Wells, stated to reporters earlier on Sunday that the agency's counterterrorism division and criminal divisions were working together to determine the motive. The agency assured, “We are working to determine the sequence of events and the shooter’s movements before the shooting, collecting and reviewing evidence, conducting interviews, and following up on all leads.”

The suspect's former classmates informed local media that he was constantly teased in high school and was labeled as a 'loner' and 'outcast'. They disclosed to ABC News that the high school rifle squad had rejected him because he was a 'bad shot.' Although state voter records show Crooks was a registered Republican, he also gave $15 to a Democratic political action group when he was just 17. Crooks worked at a nursing home as a dietary assistant at the time of the shooting, as per Reuters.

Although there are frequent mass shootings in American schools, bars, and other public spaces, this act was the first time a US president or a major party presidential candidate has been shot since Republican President Ronald Reagan's attempted assassination in 1981. On January 6, 2021, Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol following Joe Biden's victory over Trump in the 2020 election, fueled by misinformation campaigns. Since then, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling, two out of every three respondents expressed fear of an increase in political violence.