Crooks was 20 years old and from Bethel Park, Pa. — about 40 miles south of Butler, the location of Saturday night’s Trump rally, the FBI has said. He graduated Bethel Park High School in 2022.
Crooks was registered as a Republican, according to Pennsylvania’s voter status records. His voter registration status has been active since 2021. However, on the day of President Biden's inauguration he made a monetary donation to Act Blue, a political action committee that raises money for Democratic candidates. The donation was earmarked for the Progressive Turnout Project, according to Federal Election Commission in 2021 filings cited by Reuters. He donated $15.
The assassination attempt comes just days before Trump was to accept the Republican nomination for a third time.
Secret Service agents fatally shot Crooks, who attacked from an elevated position outside the rally venue, the agency said. One attendee was killed and two spectators were critically injured, authorities said.