Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced Sunday that the man killed at a rally for former President Donald Trump was Corey Competore.
Competore, a former fire chief in the area, loved his family, Shapiro said.
“Cory died a hero. Corey rushed to his family last night to protect them,” the governor said.
In other developments, President Joe Biden plans to address the nation on Sunday afternoon after a Situation Room briefing on the Trump rally shooting.
Trump on Sunday appealed for unity and resilience after an apparent attempt to kill him, as politically divided leaders reeled from the shootings that left him wounded but “OK” and the gunman and a rally attendee dead.
The Republican presidential candidate said the upper part of his right ear was punctured in the shooting. His aides said he was in “good spirits” and doing well.
“I immediately knew something was wrong as I heard whizzing and gunshots and immediately felt the bullet tearing the skin,” he wrote on the social media site. “There was a lot of bleeding.”
“Only God prevented the unthinkable from happening,” Trump said in a subsequent post on Sunday.
“In this moment, it is more important than ever that we come together, show our true character as Americans, stay strong and determined, and not let evil win,” his post said.
The FBI identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, about 50 miles from the scene of the shooting. An FBI official said investigators have not determined a motive.
Secret Service agents shot and killed Crooks. The agency said the gunman carried out the attack from a high vantage point outside a farm show rally in Butler.
One attendee died and two spectators were seriously injured, authorities said. All were identified as male.
Bomb-making materials were found in the car of a suspect in the Trump rally shooting, law enforcement officials told The Associated Press. Bomb-making materials were also found in his home. The two officials were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Investigators believe the weapon used by Crooks was purchased by his father at least six months ago, law enforcement officials said. Federal agents are still working to understand when and how his son obtained the gun and to gather more information about Crooks, officials said.
Crooks’ political leanings are unclear. Records show Crooks is registered as a Republican in Pennsylvania, but federal campaign finance reports also show he donated $15 to the Progressive PAC on Jan. 20, 2021, the day President Joe Biden was sworn in.
Authorities told reporters Crooks was not carrying identification, so they used DNA and other methods to confirm his identity. Law enforcement recovered an AR-style rifle at the scene, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Worst assassination attempt since 1981
The attack was the deadliest assassination attempt on a president or presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981. Concerns about political violence in a deeply polarized United States. That could change the tone and security posture of Monday’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Organizers said the conference will go ahead as planned.
After visiting a local hospital in Pennsylvania, Trump flew to New Jersey, landing at Newark Liberty International Airport shortly after midnight. Video released by an aide shows the former president exiting his private jet flanked by Secret Service agents and heavily armed members of the agency’s counter-assault team in an unusually visible show of force for his protective detail.
The White House said Biden, who is running against Trump, was briefed on the attack and spoke with Trump hours after the shooting.
“America will not tolerate this kind of violence,” the president said. “It’s sick. It’s sick.
Biden cut short a weekend at his beach house in Rehoboth Beach, Del., late Saturday to return to Washington.
Many Republicans were quick to blame Biden and his allies for the violence, viewing the continued attacks on Trump as a threat to democracy, creating a toxic environment. They singled out Biden’s comments to donors on July 8, saying “it’s time to put Trump in the bullseye.”
Counterattack teams killed the gunman, officials said. Heavily armed tactical teams travel with the president and major party nominees and are designed to respond to any active threats, while other Secret Service agents focus on protecting and evacuating those at the center of their protection.
An Associated Press analysis of more than a dozen videos and photos from the Trump rally, as well as satellite images of the scene, showed that the gunman had surprisingly close access to the stage where the former president was delivering his speech.
A video posted by The Associated Press on social media showed a man in gray camouflage lying motionless on the roof of AGR International, a manufacturing plant in Butler where the Trump rally was held. North of the Butler Farm Show grounds.
The rooftop where the man lay was less than 150 meters (164 yards) from where Trump was speaking, a distance at which a decent shooter could reasonably hit a human-sized target. For reference, U.S. Army recruits must hit a range of 150 meters before using an M-16 rifle. The AR-15, the same one used by the gunmen at Trump rallies, is a semi-automatic civilian version of the military M-16.
The distance at which Crooks was shot and his clothing led to early speculation that the gunman had military experience. However, all military branches searched their records Sunday and said in response to inquiries from The Associated Press that they had no record of his service.
Asked at a news conference whether law enforcement knew the shooter was on the roof before the shots were fired, Kevin Rojack, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, responded, “That’s our current assessment.”
He added that it was “amazing” that the gunman was able to open fire on the stage before the Secret Service killed him.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who oversees the Secret Service, said officials were in contact with the Biden and Trump campaigns and “taking every possible step to ensure their safety.”
A rally was interrupted by gunfire
Trump was showing a chart of border crossings when shots rang out just after 6:10 p.m.
When the first crack came, Trump said, “Oh,” raised his hand to his right ear, looked at it, and then quickly squatted on the ground behind the podium. People in the stands behind him crouched down, and screams erupted from the crowd.
Someone near the microphone could be heard saying: “Get down, get down, get down, get down!” as agents rushed onto the stage. As other agents took up positions on the stage looking for threats, they piled on the former president and protected him with their bodies.
“The gunman is down,” was then heard multiple times, followed by questions like “Can we move?” and “Are we clear?” before being ordered: “Let’s go.”
Trump can be heard in the video saying “let me get my shoes” at least twice, while another voice says, “I got you, sir.”
Moments later, Trump stood up and his right hand could be seen reaching toward his blood-stained face. He then pumped his fist in the air and appeared to say the word “fight” twice to his supporters, prompting loud cheers and then chants of “USA.” USA. USA.
Shortly after, his motorcade left the field. The video shows Trump turning to face the crowd and raising his fists before being put into his car.
Witnesses heard multiple gunshots and took cover
When the shooting started, “everybody was on their knees or prone because we all knew. Everybody started to realize it was gunshots,” said Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Dave Dave, who was sitting to Trump’s right on the stage. Dave McCormick said.
McCormick said when he saw Trump raise his fist, he looked back and saw someone sitting in the stands behind the stage had been hit.
Eventually, first responders removed the victim from the crowd so he could receive medical attention, McCormick said.
Reporters covering the rally heard five or six gunshots as many people sought cover under tables. After two or three loud noises, everyone in the crowd looked shocked, but not panicked. An Associated Press reporter at the scene reported that the noise initially sounded like firecrackers or possibly a car backfiring.
When it became apparent that the situation was under control and that Trump would not return to speak, attendees began filing out of the venue.
Police quickly asked the remaining people to leave the venue, with Secret Service agents telling reporters to “get out now.” This is the scene of the crime scene.
Political violence rocks America again
The dangers of the campaign became more pressing after the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in California in 1968, and in 1972 Arthur Bremer shot and seriously injured George Whalley George Wallace ran as an independent on a platform that was sometimes criticized. This resulted in increased protection for candidates, although threats remained, notably against Jesse Jackson in 1988 and Barack Obama in 2008.
Presidents, especially after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, have a higher layer of security, something Trump is rare for, both as a former president and as a current presidential candidate.
Republican Rep. Mike Kelly, who represents the district where the shooting occurred, attended the rally with his wife and grandson and was behind Trump when he was injured. Kelly said he was “baffled by what’s going on in the United States of America and what’s going on.”
“I just want people to just keep a low profile,” he said. “Stop trying to find someone to blame. The responsibility lies somewhere in the American psyche.
