Rally shooter ID’ed as Thomas Matthew Crooks

Former U.S. President Donald Trump authorized a GoFundMe fundraising page for the victims of the shooting at his Pennsylvania rally.

The fundraising effort is being organized by Meredith O’Rourke, the national finance director for Trump’s 2024 election campaign, NBC News reported citing a campaign source.

“President Donald Trump has authorized this account as a place for donations to the supporters and families wounded or killed in today’s brutal and horrific assassination attempt. All donations will be directed to these proud Americans as they grieve and recover. May God bless and unite our nation,” says the description on the GoFundMe page.

— Weizhen Tan

The FBI identified the 20-year-old Pennsylvania resident who was killed after trying to assassinate Trump as Thomas Matthew Crooks.

Crooks was a resident of Bethel Park, a village about 55 miles south of the shooting scene in Butler, Pennsylvania.

He was registered to vote as a Republican. But records show that his one known political donation, for $15 in 2021, was to Act Blue, a group that supports Democratic candidates.

Crooks was killed after firing several shots from a rooftop overlooking the rally site.

Crooks was not carrying identification at the time of the shooting. Investigators spent hours confirming his suspected identity.

– Dan Mangan

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X early Sunday morning that he was “appalled” to hear about the shooting of former U.S. President Donald Trump.

“I am appalled to learn about the shooting of former U.S. President Donald Trump at his rally in Pennsylvania,” he said in a post on X.

“I am relieved to learn that Donald Trump is now safe and wish him a speedy recovery,” he added, also offering his condolences to the loved ones of the rally attendee who died.

“I extend my wishes for strength to everyone who is horrified by this event. I wish America emerges stronger from this,” Zelenskyy said.

— Weizhen Tan

The Secret Service did not field a representative for a law-enforcement press conference on the shooting, leaving unanswered questions many reporters had about whether there were failures in securing the rally scene that became the site of an assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

Instead, Kevin Rojek, the FBI’s top agent in Pittsburgh and the commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police handled questions from the press, often saying they could not, or would not comment on the Secret Service’s actions.

Questions were immediately raised about how the now-dead gunman was able to get on a roof, with a rifle, overlooking the rally where Trump was speaking, and how he was able to fire multiple shots, killing one man and critically injuring two others.

Rojek called the fact that the shooter could fire off those shots before being killed “surprising.”

As a former president, Trump has lifetime Secret Service protection, and he would have it anyway as the Republican party’s presumptive presidential nominee.

“They do the initial security assessments and determine where the different security locations should be,” Rojek said. “And they’re the ones who are in charge of securing the scene.”

– Dan Mangan

An FBI agent said investigators have “no identified motive” in what authorities consider an “assassination attempt” on Trump.

Kevin Rojek, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office, said authorities are not prepared yet to release the name of the now-dead shooter, who has been tentatively identified.

“There was no identification on the individual,” said Rojek, noting that investigators are checking the shooter’s biometric information, DNA and photographs to confirm his identity.

Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris said, “We have no reason to believe there is any other existing threat out there.”

– Dan Mangan

President Joe Biden’s motorcade arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware at 11:24 p.m. He is expected to arrive back at the White House around 12:30 a.m.

– Josephine Rozzelle

The man killed after shooting at Trump during the rally was about 20 years old and a resident of Pennsylvania, five senior U.S. law enforcement officials told NBC News.

– Dan Mangan

Former President Donald Trump has left the hospital where he was being treated, according to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

“Under the protection of US Secret Service and with the assistance of the Pennsylvania State Police, former President Trump has now left the Butler area,” Shapiro said in a post on X. “Lori and I are thankful that his team reports that he is fine and we continue to wish him a full and speedy recovery.”

– Josephine Rozzelle

Democrats began pushing back on suggestions by Trump to blame President Joe Biden and other members of their party for the apparent assassination attempt.

“It’s extremely dangerous but sadly unsurprising,” a Democratic operative told NBC News.

“The GOP will fan the flames of division that directly contributed to this violence, then blame Democrats for the raging fire that threatens to burn down the fabric of our democracy,” the operative said.

“This is their playbook. We’ve reached a dark turning point in this race. I worry it will only get worse from here.”

– Dan Mangan

The House of Representatives “will conduct a full investigation of the tragic events” at the Trump rally, Speaker Mike Johnson said.

“The American people deserve to know the truth,” the Louisiana Republican said in a tweet.

“We will have Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and other appropriate officials from [Department of Homeland Security] and the FBI appear for a hearing before our committees ASAP,” Johnson wrote.

– Dan Mangan

President Joe Biden has spoken to former President Donald Trump following the campaign rally shooting in Pennsylvania, a White House official said.

Biden has also spoken with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Bob Dandoy, the Mayor of Butler, Pennsylvania, the official told reporters.

The official offered no details about the calls.

Biden, who delivered remarks earlier Saturday evening condemning the “sick” act of apparent political violence, is set to receive an updated briefing at the White House on Sunday morning, the official said.

— Kevin Breuninger

Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department is bolstering its security presence throughout the city in response to the Trump rally shooting.

“Out of an abundance of caution, MPD has increased police presence across the city,” Police Chief Pamela Smith said in a statement.

Smith said there were no “known threats” to Washington but that the public should stay vigilant of suspicious activity.

The MPD provided several tip lines for reporting suspicious behavior: either call 202-727-9099, text 50411, or visit iwatchdc.org online.

— Rebecca Picciotto

Rep. Ronny Jackson, a Texas Republican who served as the White House’s chief doctor for Trump and former President Barack Obama, told Fox News that his nephew’s neck was grazed by a bullet during the shooting at Trump’s rally.

“My nephew was at the event tonight, and they were in the friends and family pen, and they heard this shot and everybody dropped to the ground … he was grazed in the neck, a bullet crossed his neck, cut his neck, and he was bleeding,” Jackson told Fox’s Sean Hannity.

The former Navy officer said his nephew, who he did not identify by name, said the relative was sitting to the Trump right during the incident, “in the line of fire and they heard shots coming in.”

Jackson said there was someone who was four or five rows behind his nephew who was critically injured.

“My sister-in-law had encouraged him to go the … first aid tent, to the triage tent,” Jackson said.

“When they got to the triage tent while they were there was another member of the crowd and unfortunately was in the triage tent on a gurney … that had a devastating wound, had a critical wound to the head and was dead,” the congressman said.

Trump nominated Jackson as secretary for Veteran’s Affairs in 2018, but Jackson dropped out as the nominee weeks later amid allegations about his professional conduct.

– Dan Mangan

The suspected shooter was positioned roughly 148 yards from the Trump rally stage, according to an NBC News map visualization of the shooting.

President Joe Biden is leaving Rehoboth Beach, Delaware and returning to the White House tonight, the White House said.

Biden had originally planned to be in Rehoboth Beach all weekend.

– Josephine Rozzelle

The FBI, which is leading the investigation of the shooting, urged anyone with information about the incident to call the bureau’s tip line, 1-800-CALL-FBI.”

“Special agents of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office responded immediately [to the scene] to include crisis response team members and evidence response technicians,” the FBI said in a statement.

“We will continue to support this investigation with the full resources of the FBI, alongside our partners at the U.S. Secret Service and state and local law enforcement.”

– Dan Mangan