Thomas Matthew Crooks: The man behind Donald Trump's assassination attempt

Donald Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt at a political rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. During the incident, one Trump supporter was killed. Trump, dressed in a white shirt, dark blazer, and bright red MAGA cap, was speaking against illegal immigration when shots rang out at 6:08 pm (2208 GMT). Trump grabbed his right ear as shouts of "get down!" were heard before a fifth and sixth shot.

The FBI has identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. Voter-registration records showed that he was registered as a Republican.

Thomas Matthew Crooks was a resident of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022 and received a $500 "star award" from the National Math and Science Initiative, according to The Tribune-Review in western Pennsylvania.

Crooks was armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. Witnesses saw him before the shooting and alerted authorities. He was positioned on the roof of a building about 130 yards from the stage where Trump was speaking.

Crooks was shot dead by Secret Service officials following the attack. Police said Crooks' motive behind firing on Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, remains unclear.

Trump was rushed off the stage with blood streaked across his face after the shooting in Butler. The incident occurred two days before the start of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where Trump is set to become the party's nominee.