FBI finds Trump rally gunman acted alone in assassination attempt
The FBI has concluded its investigation into the first assassination attempt against President Trump during a Pennsylvania campaign rally last year, determining that the deceased suspect acted alone and without a clear motive.
FBI Director Kash Patel said Trump was informed of the findings “as a victim of this case” and was “satisfied with the results and where we left it.” Deputy Director Dan Bongino added that the agency had thoroughly reviewed the case, interviewed the families and the president, and found no evidence of a broader plot or motive.
The suspect, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot and killed by Secret Service agents after opening fire from a rooftop at the Butler, Pa., rally in July 2024. One attendee was killed, and a bullet grazed Trump’s ear during the attack.
Patel criticized former FBI Director Christopher Wray over the handling of the case during the Biden administration, particularly for comments casting doubt on whether the president had been struck by a bullet. He said the previous missteps caused “massive disbelief in the institution.”
While the investigation indicates Crooks acted alone, a senior FBI official said the agency would continue to investigate if credible leads emerge.
The U.S. Secret Service faced criticism following the shooting. Corey Comperatore, a Trump supporter killed in the incident, prompted public outcry from his wife, Helen, who said, “We were all sitting ducks that day” and blamed the agency for her husband’s death. During the attack, agents quickly pulled Trump off the stage while he briefly raised his fist and shouted, “Fight, fight, fight.” Trump later described his ear as “bleeding like a b—-” in accounts of the rally.
A Department of Homeland Security internal review found that the Secret Service counter-sniper team was chronically understaffed at the time. The incident energized the Republican base and became a rallying point for Trump’s 2024 campaign, with his words “Fight, fight, fight” adopted as a campaign slogan.
Crooks’s background also drew scrutiny. Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson accused the FBI of misleading the public about the suspect’s online presence, which the agency denied, asserting Crooks did have a digital footprint.
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