By: L. Cramer
5:01pm
FBI Director Christopher Wray has stated that the investigation into the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump will “leave no stone unturned while Attorney General Merrick Garland is quoted as saying there is “no tolerance for such violence and as Americans we must have no tolerance for it.”
FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate has stated a “ticking up” of violent online rhetoric since the attempted assassination of a former president of the United States and stated that people are going online claiming to be the shooter who was killed by secret service. The FBI will continue to monitor this kind of speech.
The family of the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, is cooperating with the FBI for the investigation as the firearm used in the attempted assassination was owned by the shooter’s father.
Friends and family of the rally attendee who was killed have started a GoFundMe to help the family at this difficult time.
President Biden has called the attack something that is “contrary to everything we stand for as a nation” and that “There’s no place in America for this kind of violence, or any violence for that matter.”
The President and Jill Biden extended their condolences to the family of Corey Comperatore, the father and husband killed by the shooter at the rally.
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1:14pm
Fatally shot victim at Butler, PA, Trump rally identified as Corey Comperatore.
In a news conference with Pennsylvania’s Governor, Josh Shapiro, Comperatore was said to have died a hero. Gov. Shapiro is quoted as saying Comperatore “dove on his family to protect them.”
We are saddened by the senseless loss of a life, and we send our deepest condolences to the family at this time.
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10:20am
Last night, according to the AP, investigators identified Pennsylvania resident Thomas Matthew Crooks as the shooter who attempted to assassinate former President Trump.
No motive for Crooks has been discovered at this time and his political affiliations are up in the air according to news reports.
Since this morning, Trump posted on his social media channel “In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win”.
Additionally, Trump has stated he will be attending the RNC this week and that he looks forward to it.
The FBI has taken the lead on the assassination attempt investigation and encourages anyone who was at the rally with photos or videos to share them with the investigating team.
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Tonight, 20 minutes after it happened, I found out that the former President and the presumptive Republican Presidential nominee, Donald J. Trump was shot at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Details continue to unfold but it is also presumed that at least one rally attendee was shot and killed, with at least two more attendees wounded.
Around 15 minutes after taking the stage, what has been reported as two shooters attempted to assassinate the former president. After shots were fired, Trump reached for his ear and hit the deck as blood flowed down his neck. Secret service quickly jumped on the former president and rushed him off stage, but not before Donald J. Trump pumped his fist at the crowd in defiance of this heinous act.
Our hearts are with the attendees who were wounded and killed; people, whose only crime was attending a political rally for their preferred presidential candidate – and now their lives, and the lives of their families, are altered forever.
In my opinion, this wasn’t an attack on the former president; this was an attack on conservatism and anyone who believes in it.
This story is still developing.
