FBI agents conducted a thorough search of the Bethel Park residence belonging to Thomas Crooks, a 20-year-old alleged assailant who targeted former President Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The incident unfolded on Friday evening and resulted in one fatality and injuries to several others, prompting federal authorities to classify it as a potential act of domestic terrorism.
According to reports, Crooks fired shots from an AR-15 rifle aimed at Trump, who was addressing attendees at the rally. The gunfire missed Trump and struck three other individuals. Tragically, one of the victims, 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, succumbed to his injuries. The swift response from Secret Service agents ended the attacker’s life during a firefight.
In an exclusive statement to Fox News, the FBI emphasized the gravity of the investigation: “The FBI continues to investigate the shooting incident at the July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, as an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and as potential domestic terrorism.”
More Read
The agency has mobilized extensive resources, including technical specialists who successfully accessed Crooks’ electronic devices, as part of ongoing forensic analysis. Robert Wells, the FBI’s Assistant Director of the Counterterrorism Division, affirmed their commitment to uncovering the motive behind Crooks’ actions and identifying any potential accomplices.
“Our number one goal here is to identify the motive of the subject and determine whether he had any other associates or anyone else that was involved at this point,” Wells stated.
Crooks, a graduate of Bethel Park High School in 2022, had a complex profile, including affiliations with local clubs and political donations. Despite his registration as a Republican, he contributed to a Democratic political action committee based in Chicago in 2021. Details emerge that Crooks was a member of the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, where the club’s attorney, Rob Bootay, expressed condolences to the victims’ families and emphasized cooperation with law enforcement.
“This senseless act of violence has deeply affected our community,” Bootay commented, refraining from further details amid ongoing investigations.
The tragic incident has shaken both local residents and political observers, raising questions about security protocols at public events and the motivations driving such violent acts. As investigations continue, the FBI remains steadfast in unraveling the circumstances surrounding this attempted assassination and ensuring accountability for those involved.
