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Trump Assassination Attempt: What We Do, Don't Know
Your unbiased daily news brief
James Kratch
July 15, 2024
Good Monday morning. Today's send comes about 36 hours after former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in western Pennsylvania. This edition's Top Tips will focus on what happened, the remaining questions, and what to expect moving forward.
In Today’s Brief
California: Wildfire grows
China: Drills with Russia
Nikki Haley: GOP speaking slot
Google: Historic deal
Richard Simmons: Dies at 76
... and more
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Top Tips
1) What we know
Former President Trump is OK after an attempt on his life on Saturday evening at a campaign rally.
The news: A gunman perched on a nearby roof fired shots at Trump while he was speaking at Butler County Fair Grounds, about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh. The former president said a bullet pierced his right ear, leading to visible blood on his face. Trump was quickly surrounded by Secret Service agents. He rose and pumped his fist to the crowd before being evacuated to a local hospital, where he was examined and released.
Spectator dies: Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old retired local fire department chief, was killed. His sister said he died shielding his wife and daughters from the gunfire. Two other men, James Copenhaver, 74, and 57-year-old David Dutch were wounded. They were said to be in stable condition last night after being reported in critical condition after the shooting. GoFundMe pages for the victims’ families had raised close to $3M as of last night.
Alleged shooter: The FBI said Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from nearby Bethel, was the gunman. He was killed by law enforcement at the scene. Crooks is believed to have acted alone, using a semi-automatic rifle that was legally purchased by his father. Police also found potential explosive devices in his car and residence.
The reaction: President Joe Biden said "politics must never be a literal battlefield" in an address to the nation from the Oval Office last night, calling on Americans to step back and reconsider the country's political rancor and recent instances of violence. He and leaders on both sides of the aisle condemned the attempted assassination; Biden and Trump briefly spoke on the phone on Saturday.
2) Unanswered questions
The alleged gunman's motive for trying to kill Trump remains unknown as the U.S. Secret Service faces scrutiny.
Hazy profile: The FBI was still working to determine why Crooks attempted to assassinate the former president as of last night. He was a registered Republican, but donated money to a progressive political group. Crooks had no criminal record, worked at a nursing home and left behind little digital footprint with no apparent ideological lean. Some former high school classmates claimed Crooks was an often-bullied outcast; others said he was a wallflower, but had friends and was a good student. He was a member of a local shooting club.
Security failure? Crooks' ability to get shots off from a little over a football field away from Trump raised concerns and criticism about the Secret Service's operation. The gunman was situated outside the main security perimeter in an area the Secret Service delegated to local law enforcement. The Associated Press reported that a local officer confronted Crooks on the roof but could not discharge his weapon. Crooks then opened fire before being killed by Secret Service countersnipers.
Missed warnings? Rallygoers reportedly flagged Crooks to police for suspicious behavior and then pointed out he had a gun on the roof before the shooting. The AP reported the Secret Service was made aware of Crooks and his behavior by local law enforcement. It was not clear how Crooks managed to get into position after being identified.
3) What’s next
The Republican National Convention will begin today in Milwaukee as scheduled.
Trump's in town: The former president flew to Wisconsin last night; he said on social media he initially planned to delay his arrival but decided he would not allow the attempt on his life to change his plans. Trump is expected to give his nomination speech on Thursday; a campaign memo said there will be no changes to convention plans.
Veep pick? Trump's campaign said last week he would choose a running mate by today. It is not clear if this incident has changed that timeline; a change to party rules last week was interpreted by many to allow Trump to delay his vice presidential selection if desired.
Security spotlight: The Secret Service said it did not plan to alter security plans for the convention after the assassination attempt, as the event was already scheduled to have maximum procedures in place. President Biden has directed Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to review all measures for the convention and Trump's campaign events while Republican lawmakers have called for congressional investigations into the rally and the Secret Service's performance.
Gunman's phone: The FBI has seized Crooks' cell phone and sent it to its crime lab in Quantico, Virginia, along with the rifle used in the shooting. Law enforcement will attempt to access the phone and see if information regarding a motive is present.
Calls for calm: Biden is expected to resume campaigning tomorrow after sitting down for a pre-scheduled interview with NBC's Lester Holt today. He called for a return to political civility in his post-shooting comments as the Democratic revolt against his candidacy took a backseat.
Quick Tips
U.S. News
A California wildfire in Santa Barbara County has grown to almost 38K acres. But officials said firefighters have made progress containing the blaze and diminishing its threat to nearby communities (More)
Four people were killed and nine injured in a shooting at a Birmingham, Alabama, nightclub on Saturday. Three people were killed in a separate shooting at a city residence earlier in the day (More)
An Arizona golf course worker died after being attacked by a swarm of bees. The man suffered complications from being stung; it was not clear if he had any allergies (More)
World News
China is hosting joint naval exercises with Russia. The drills come after NATO rebuked the Chinese for supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine, calling it a "decisive enabler" of the Kremlin (More)
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was acquitted on unlawful marriage charges. It is the fourth jail sentence against Khan that has been thrown out or suspended; he remains in prison on new charges while his party gained more parliamentary seats (More)
Twenty-two people died after a Nigerian school collapsed during classes. Rescue workers were able to save 132 people from the rubble; the building's faulty structure and proximity to a riverbank was blamed for the disaster (More)
Campaign News
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley will now speak at the Republican National Convention. The ex-UN Ambassador was invited over the weekend; she released her delegates to support former President Trump last week after a bruising GOP primary battle (More)
Nevada Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen will support a Trump-pushed bill to end taxes on service industry tips. Both lawmakers are Democrats; Rosen is running for re-election as polls indicate Trump has a solid lead on President Biden in the state (More)
Former federal prosecutor Joe Teirab will be the Republican nominee in Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District. Primary opponent Tayler Rahm dropped out to clear Teirab's path against Democratic Rep. Angie Craig; the general election race is expected to be competitive (More)
Business & Markets
Major indexes closed higher on Friday. The Dow Jones closed over 40K for the first time (Dow +0.62%, S&P 500 +0.55%, Nasdaq +0.63%).
Google is in talks to buy cybersecurity firm Wiz for $23B. It would be the largest acquisition in the tech giant's history; a deal may be reached soon, but it would likely face federal antitrust scrutiny (More)
Stop & Shop will close over 30 locations in the Northeast. The grocery store chain will shutter underperforming stores in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island (More)
Entertainment & Sports
Fitness guru Richard Simmons died at 76 after a decade out of the public eye. Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed star Shannen Doherty died at 53 after a battle with cancer (More | More)
Alec Baldwin's Rust involuntary manslaughter trial was dismissed and charges cannot be refiled. A New Mexico judge ruled the prosecution deliberately suppressed evidence and caused harm to the defense; the actor could have faced up to 18 months in prison if convicted (More)
Spain downed England, 2-1, in the 86th minute of the Euro final to win its fourth continental title. The English have not won a major international tournament since the 1966 World Cup (More)
Quick Hitters
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Go Deep: A British geneticist collected diverse grain samples from around the world in the 1920s. His research may help feed the world's growing population amid climate change.
Take Note: Step aside, kale and lettuce. Mustard greens may be the leafy vegetable you should strive to include in your diet.
Life Hack: Having trouble falling asleep, especially in a noisy environment? Try this simple and highly effective technique developed by the U.S. Navy.
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Looking Ahead …
Massachusetts is closer to replacing the aging bridges that connect Cape Cod to the rest of the state, but it still has a long way to go. A new $1B federal grant will help begin work, but the project remains about $2B short.