Trump assassination bid: Where is ex-US prez now; FBI on shooter's motive

Donald Trump assassination attempt: Trump suffered an injury in his right ear following a failed assassination attempt on the former US president by a 20-year-old shooter identified as Thomas Crooks

Donald Trump assassination attempt: Former US President Donald Trump landed in Wisconsin city Milwaukee on Sunday night a day after miraculously escaping a failed assassination attempt during an election rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon.

Beginning Monday, Milwaukee is set to host the Republican National Convention, held every four years, where Trump is expected to formally accept his presidential nomination. He will also deliver the acceptance speech at the Fiserv Forum in downtown Milwaukee on July 18. According to reports, he is expected to be out of public view until the Thursday event.

 

Trump, who suffered an injury after a bullet pierced the upper part of his right ear in the shooting, is fine as of now. The suspect, identified as Thomas Mathew Crooks, was gunned down immediately and another spectator was killed in the shooting incident.

The head of the Secret Service and the leader of this security detail should resign https://t.co/ihlEC5NP1w

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 14, 2024

The event at Milwaukee will take place amid heightened security measures in the wake of the incident with more than 2,400 elected delegates present to support Trump’s nomination.

The US Secret Service, tasked with providing security to the political leaders, said that the event had already been designated in the highest security level category and they don’t expect any changes to the operational measures.

Donald Trump assassination attempt: What we know so far

Who was Donald Trump’s assassin Thomas Mathew Crooks?

1) In a shocking event, Trump was attacked during the poll rally by a shooter, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, of Bethel Park - a Pennsylvania village.

2) The suspect allegedly fired eight rounds from a rooftop 200-300 yards away, Pentagon told US television network ABC News.

3) According to officials, the suspect was a Republican voter, the state records showed. He had no military affiliation and graduated from high school in Pennsylvania two years ago.

What does the FBI know about Donald Trump’s assassin?

4) The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the law enforcement agency of the US, has also found a suspicious device in Crook’s car. Another similar device was also found at his home, both decried as rudimentary, while the officials are trying to gauge what the devices are.

5) According to the FBI, Crook’s motive for carrying out the assassination attempt has not been clear so far but they believe he acted alone. They also downplayed any public safety concerns at the moment.

6) The officials have also recovered a AR-15 style rifle used by the suspect in the attack. The firearm, purchased in 2013, was registered in the suspect’s father’s name.

What Joe Biden said on Trump’s assassination attempt?

7) The incident has drawn widespread condemnation from global leaders, including US President Joe Biden, who has announced an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack. 

8) On Sunday, Biden warned about the possible risks of political violence in the election-bound nation following the attack, urging people to “cool down”. The bitter presidential campaign between the two leaders and the latest incident have cast a shadow on the trajectory of the elections, slated to be held on November 5.

9) “There is no place in America for this kind of violence for any violence. Ever. Period. No exception…” Biden said in a prime-time national address from the Oval Office.

10) Meanwhile, the US Secret Service is under scrutiny for failing to intercept the threat that resulted in a near-death experience for Trump. While the Republicans are demanding answers, billionaire Elon Musk has also waded into the controversy, seeking the resignation of the agency’s chief Kimberly A Cheatle.