Trump Assassination Attempt - July 13th, Butler Pennsylvania

Event Overview

• Date: July 13th
• Location: Butler, Pennsylvania
• Event: Rally for former U.S. President Donald Trump
• Occasion: Days before accepting the official Republican nomination for the next election

Incident Description

• Time of Incident: Just minutes into Trump's speech
• Perpetrator: Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20 years old
• Weapon: AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, legally purchased by Crook's father

Sequence of Events

1. Speech Begins: Trump greets the crowd; crowd is large and supportive
2. First Shots: As Trump turns to point at a chart, Crooks fires first round of shots
   • Bullet grazes Trump's right ear
   • Trump ducks behind the podium
3. Secret Service Response:
   • Agents swarm Trump, shield him
   • Snipers and other agents identify Crooks
4. Second Round of Shots:
   • Fired immediately by Crooks
   • One man in the bleachers, Cory Comprador, is killed
   • Two others critically injured
5. Neutralizing the Shooter: Secret Service confirms the shooter is down 42 seconds after the first shots
6. Crowd Reaction:
   • Trump signals defiance by raising his fist
   • Crowd chants "fight fight fight"
7. Post-Incident:
   • Trump is escorted to an armored vehicle and later flown to New Jersey

Security and Investigation

• Security Setup:
  • Snipers on rooftops
  • Secret Service and support staff on stage
• Investigation Points:
  • Motive of Crooks unclear
  • Crooks had no criminal history
  • Voter registration: Republican, donated $15 to a liberal group
  • Work: Kitchen worker, shooting club member
  • FBI found suspicious devices in Crook's car and home
• Immediate Reactions:
  • President Biden and global leaders condemn the attack

Symbolic Aftermath

• Trump's Image: Bloodied but defiant with raised fist
• Re-election Campaign: The image likely to be a powerful symbol