WASHINGTON (AP) — More details are emerging after former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt Saturday, days before he becomes the official Republican presidential nominee.
The Secret Service shot and killed the would-be assassin, identified as a 20-year-old from a Pittsburgh suburb not far from the campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One spectator was killed and two others were critically injured.
Here’s a look at what we know so far:
What happened at the Trump rally shooting?
The former president was showing off a chart of border-crossing numbers when at least five shots were fired. Trump was seen holding his ear and got down on the ground. Agents quickly created a shield around him. When he finally stood, his face bloodied, he pumped his fist to cheering supporters. Trump and his motorcade then left the scene and he was checked into a medical facility in Pennsylvania.
He later flew to New Jersey, landing shortly after midnight at Newark Liberty International Airport.
Was Trump shot?
Trump released a statement on his Truth Social platform shortly after being whisked away from the rally, saying he was “shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear."
Law enforcement officials have not confirmed Trump was hit with a bullet.
Why was Trump in Pennsylvania for a rally?
Trump was holding his final rally before the Republican National Convention that begins Monday in Milwaukee.
Pennsylvania is one of the most important states in the presidential race and Trump has had at least two rallies in the state this year so far.
What do we know about the Trump rally shooter?
Officials say Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, opened fire from a rooftop outside the rally venue in Butler before he was killed by Secret Service.
Bomb-making materials were found inside Crooks’ vehicle near the Trump rally and at his home, according to two officials who were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Law enforcement recovered an AR-style rifle at the scene, according to a person familiar with the matter. The person was not authorized to discuss details of the investigation.
The shooter’s family is cooperating with federal investigators, according to an FBI official.
Was the shooter trying to assassinate Trump?
An FBI official said late Saturday that a motive had not yet been determined. Public court records in Pennsylvania show no past criminal cases against Crooks. The shooter’s family is cooperating with federal investigators, according to an FBI official.
His father, Matthew Crooks, told CNN late Saturday that he was trying to figure out “what the hell is going on” but wouldn’t speak about his son until after he talked to law enforcement. Relatives of Crooks have not returned multiple messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.
Meanwhile, the FBI is leading the investigation and said it's working with the Secret Service and local and state law enforcement. FBI Director Christopher Wray on Sunday called the shooting an “attack on democracy and our democratic process.”
Republican U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson also said the House will conduct a full investigation of the attack on Trump’s campaign rally.
Attorney general calls attempted assassination of Trump ‘an attack on our democracy itself’
Attorney General Merrick Garland told reporters that the Justice Department has “no tolerance for such violence and as Americans we must have no tolerance for it.”
“This must stop,” he said.
FBI director says rally shooting investigators ‘will leave no stone unturned’
FBI Director Christopher Wray says authorities “will leave no stone unturned” in their investigation of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
In a call with reporters Sunday, Wray called the shooting an “attack on democracy and our democratic process.”
“An attempt to assassinate a presidential candidate can only be described as absolutely despicable and will not be tolerated in this country,” Wray said.
AR-style rifle used by the shooter was purchased by gunman’s father, FBI says
The FBI says they believe the AR-style rifle the Trump rally shooter used was legally purchased by the gunman’s father.
Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh Field Office, told reporters that authorities don’t yet know how the shooter gained access to the weapon, and whether he took it without his father’s knowledge.
“These are facts that we'll flesh out as we conduct interviews,” Rojek said. Authorities recovered the weapon at the scene of the shooting.
FBI says it is investigating shooting as attempted assassination and act of domestic terrorism
The FBI says it is investigating the Trump rally shooting as an attempted assassination and also an act of domestic terrorism.
The gunman was not previously on the radar screen of the FBI. He’s believed to have acted alone.
The FBI defines domestic terrorism as acts inside the U.S. that are intended to intimidate or coerce civilians or influence government policy.
The FBI has not yet identified the shooter's ideology, but they are combing through his social media feeds and weapons. So far, they have not found any threatening writing or social media posts.
They said they have located a suspicious device and defused it. They have received more than 2,000 tips.
FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate says threatening online rhetoric has been “ticking up” since the attempted assassination. He says people are going online to pose as the shooter, who was killed by U.S. Secret Service.
Abbate says they are aware of the increased activity and monitoring it closely.
What do we know about the other victims?
Gov. Josh Shapiro on Sunday confirmed that Corey Comperatore was the man killed at the Trump rally.
“Corey died a hero," the governor said. “Corey dove on his family to protect them last night.”
No information has been released about the two others injured at the rally. Officials have not released their names.
Attorney general calls attempted assassination of Trump ‘an attack on our democracy itself’
Attorney General Merrick Garland told reporters that the Justice Department has “no tolerance for such violence and as Americans we must have no tolerance for it.”
“This must stop,” he said.
FBI director says rally shooting investigators ‘will leave no stone unturned’
FBI Director Christopher Wray says authorities “will leave no stone unturned” in their investigation of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
In a call with reporters Sunday, Wray called the shooting an “attack on democracy and our democratic process.”
“An attempt to assassinate a presidential candidate can only be described as absolutely despicable and will not be tolerated in this country,” Wray said.
AR-style rifle used by the shooter was purchased by gunman’s father, FBI says
The FBI says they believe the AR-style rifle the Trump rally shooter used was legally purchased by the gunman’s father.
Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh Field Office, told reporters that authorities don’t yet know how the shooter gained access to the weapon, and whether he took it without his father’s knowledge.
“These are facts that we'll flesh out as we conduct interviews,” Rojek said. Authorities recovered the weapon at the scene of the shooting.
FBI says it is investigating shooting as attempted assassination and act of domestic terrorism
The FBI says it is investigating the Trump rally shooting as an attempted assassination and also an act of domestic terrorism.
The gunman was not previously on the radar screen of the FBI. He’s believed to have acted alone.
The FBI defines domestic terrorism as acts inside the U.S. that are intended to intimidate or coerce civilians or influence government policy.
The FBI has not yet identified the shooter's ideology, but they are combing through his social media feeds and weapons. So far, they have not found any threatening writing or social media posts.
They said they have located a suspicious device and defused it. They have received more than 2,000 tips.
FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate says threatening online rhetoric has been “ticking up” since the attempted assassination. He says people are going online to pose as the shooter, who was killed by U.S. Secret Service.
Abbate says they are aware of the increased activity and monitoring it closely.
Is the RNC convention still happening?
Former President Donald Trump says he’ll travel to Milwaukee on Sunday afternoon ahead of the Republican National Convention.
Trump said on his Truth Social platform that he was going to delay his trip after Saturday’s apparent assassination attempt, but decided he cannot “allow a ‘shooter,’ or potential assassin, to force change to scheduling, or anything else.”
The Secret Service says it is “confident in the security plans” for the Republican National Convention after the attack at the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Additionally, the FBI, the lead intelligence agency for the RNC in Milwaukee, said it has seen no known “specific and articulated threats" against the convention or anyone attending the event.
Nikki Haley will speak at RNC
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley will speak Tuesday at the Republican National Convention in what will be a highly anticipated speech by former President Donald Trump’s last major challenger in this year’s GOP primary.
Haley, who was also elected twice as South Carolina governor, initially was not among the list of speakers but has since been added to the schedule, according to Haley spokesperson Chaney Denton.
The schedule change was confirmed by a Republican official who is familiar with the convention plans but was not authorized to speak publicly.
— Michelle L. Price and Meg Kinnard
Have there been other presidential assassination attempts?
Saturday's attack was the most serious attempt to assassinate a president or presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981, but there have been multiple instances of political violence targeting U.S. presidents, former presidents and major party presidential candidates.
What has been the reaction to the shooting?
The overall response from both political parties was one of gratitude that Trump wasn’t badly hurt. President Joe Biden spoke in a press briefing roughly three hours after the shooting Saturday. He said “everybody must condemn” the suspected assassination attempt.
In remarks Sunday from the White House, Biden appealed for the country to “unite as one nation” and said he was ordering an independent security review of how such an attack could have happened. Biden spoke after receiving a briefing on the investigation in the Situation Room. He asked the public not to “make assumptions” about the shooter’s motives or affiliations.
“An assassination attempt is contrary to everything we stand for as a nation," the president said. Biden planned to deliver extended remarks to the nation Sunday evening in an address from the Oval Office.
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Associated Press writer Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
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