What we know about gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks who shot at Trump at his Pennsylvania rally

The FBI identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks as the suspect involved in the assassination attempt of former US president Donald Trump on Saturday.

Trump was speaking at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania when the gunman shot at him.

Multiple shots were fired towards the stage, and Trump was rushed offby law enforcement withblood visibly streaming from his ear. The shots killed one attendee and critically injured two others, the Secret Service said.

Later on Truth Social, Trump confirmed that one of the bullets had hit his ear. The Secret Service said the gunman was shot and killed at the scene.

The FBI held a press conference a short while later, initially stating they were using his DNA for biometric confirmation as he carried no identification. Later, they identified him as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, a resident of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.

However, there are no clues yet as to Crooks’ motive for the attack, which is being treated as an “assassination attempt”.

“The FBI has identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the subject involved in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on July 13, in Butler, Pennsylvania,” the FBI’s statement read.

“This remains an active and ongoing investigation, and anyone with information that may assist with the investigation is encouraged to submit photos or videos online,” the statement added.

Crooks lived in the Pittsburgh suburb of Bethel Park, located around 56km south of where Trump held his rally. Local media reports indicated that Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022, and received a $500 “star award” that year from the National Math and Science Initiative.

He was registered to vote as a