1 week after Trump assassination attempt: Updates on the wound and the shooter

A week after a failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump left a rallygoer dead in Butler, Pennsylvania, investigators are examining the suspected shooter’s background and possible motives. Questions remain about the security measures put in place before the shooting.

Trump, who was on stage when the shooting occurred Saturday night and was taken away by the Secret Service, suffered an ear injury. His staff said he was “fine” after being treated at a local hospital.

New details about the injury were released Saturday by Rep. Ronny Jackson, who previously served as Trump’s White House physician. Jackson said he has treated Trump daily since the shooting.

“Former President Trump is doing well and is recovering as expected from the gunshot wound he sustained Saturday afternoon,” Jackson said in a memo.

Jackson said the bullet that wounded Trump came less than a quarter-inch from “entering his head” and struck the top of his right ear, causing a 3/4-inch wound. The wound is healing well and swelling has gone down, but a bandage is still needed because of occasional bleeding, Jackson said.

Corey Comperatore, the volunteer firefighter and father of two who died in the crowd, was remembered and mourned at a rally on Thursday and his funeral procession on Friday.

Here’s what we know latest:

Suspect’s school district issues updated statement

On Saturday, the Bethel Park School District issued an updated statement addressing several “misconceptions.”

The district said its records show that Thomas Matthew Crooks excelled academically and had no history of disciplinary or bullying. He got along well with classmates and school staff, the district said. (Classmates have given varying accounts of Crooks’ experiences at school.)

“It would be extremely irresponsible for us to speculate about his mental state in the two years since we last saw Thomas Crooks,” the district said.

The school district also has no record of him being a member of or auditioning for the rifle team, but said it was possible he had informally attended a practice. A classmate previously told USA TODAY that Crooks had auditioned for the team their freshman year, but that Crooks was unable to participate.

Experts say it took too long to evacuate Trump after the shooting

In the moments after the Secret Service spied on Trump and decided to evacuate him from the rally grounds, the former president paused, made himself visible to the crowd and pumped his fist. The iconic moment was captured in photos and video.

But former Secret Service officials and experts told USA TODAY that leaving him alone for so long was against protocol and further endangered his life. It is standard protocol to keep the “protectee” bent over at the waist so agents can fully surround him and cover his body as they carry him away.

“The messaging to get him released was absolutely appalling,” said former Secret Service Director John Magaw.

“It should have happened faster,” said AT Smith, deputy director of the Secret Service from 2012 to 2015. Read more.

Investigations into how police failed to prevent shootings continue

According to government officials, videos shared by rally participants and news reports, at least some law enforcement officers present at the Butler rally spotted Crooks before he fired a single shot.

Crooks was positioned on a rooftop near the protest site, where police later seized an AR-style rifle, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.

A local police officer came face to face with Crooks moments before the shooting. Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe told Reuters the officer was hoisted to the roof by his partner. The gunman spotted the officer and aimed his gun at him before the officer, who was holding onto the edge of the roof, jumped down to safety.

Kenneth Valentine, a former Secret Service special agent, told Reuters that the agency responsible for protecting Trump should have had personnel monitoring rooftops and neutralizing any threats.

Crooks’ motive remains unclear.

Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told USA TODAY that “there is an independent review panel that is going to look at all aspects of this,” including the evacuation process.

Contributions from: Josh Meyer, John Bacon, Christopher Cann, Jorge L. Ortiz, Kenny Jacoby, Kristine Phillips, Bryce Buyakie, USA TODAY Network; Reuters

Suspect’s school district issues updated statement

Experts say it took too long to evacuate Trump after the shooting

Investigations into how police failed to prevent shootings continue

Related Posts