BY: CHIOMA MADONNA NDUKWU
On July 13, 2024, a political rally for former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, turned deadly when a gunman, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Crooks of Bethel Park, opened fire.
Secret Service agents swiftly neutralized Crooks, who fired multiple shots from an elevated position outside the rally. Trump, the Republican candidate for the upcoming presidential election, was unharmed but recounted a close call as a bullet grazed his right ear. The incident left Crooks and a bystander dead, and two spectators critically wounded.
Crooks, a registered Republican and 2022 graduate of Bethel Park High School, had previously donated to a Democratic PAC, raising questions about his motives. His father expressed shock and confusion, while local residents voiced their fear and concern. The FBI continues to investigate, urging the public to submit any relevant information.
