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Donald Trump's shooter identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks after he breaks silence after being shot with a bullet in the ear

Shocking footage has revealed Donald Trump's shooter seconds before he opened fire and hit the former US president with a bullet in his ear in an assassination attempt at a rally. See updates and the shocking video.

Gunman opens fire at Trump rally

New video and details have emerged about the gunman the FBI has confirmed the name of, who shot Donald Trump who was injured as he heard a "whizzing sound" and he felt a bullet rip through his ear.

The shooter has been identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. He was from Bethel Park, a village south of where the rally was held.

The New York Post has also reported that he was a registered Republican voter. Sources told The Post Crooks was planted on the roof of a manufacturing plant more than 130 yards away from the stage at Butler Farm Show grounds.

The former president revealed how he was shot on stage, by posting on his social media platform. He said: "I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear."

"I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin," he said.

"Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening."

One rally attendee is dead and two are critically injured after the shooting, Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the US Secret Service said. Crooks is also deceased.

Earlier, the agency said the shooter had fired multiple shots from an “elevated position” outside the rally before Secret Service personnel “neutralised” the shooter.

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Palestinian president condemns attack

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Palestine’s Mahmoud Abbas has added his voice to a chorus of world leaders denouncing the attempted assassination of Trump.

“We condemn this act of terror and reaffirm the positions of the State of Palestine, which has always rejected violence, terrorism, and extremism, regardless of its source”, Mr Abbas in a statement.

Qatar’s foreign ministry also issued a similar statement condemning the attack and wishing the former US president a speedy recovery.

No plans for Putin to call Trump

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A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said there are no plans to call Trump in light of the shooting, despite being an ally.

“We do not believe that the attempt to eliminate and assassinate Trump was organised by the current authorities,” Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

“But the atmosphere around candidate Trump … provoked what America is confronting today.

“After numerous attempts to remove candidate Trump from the political arena – using first legal tools, the courts, prosecutors, attempts to politically discredit and compromise the candidate – it was obvious to all outside observers that his life was in danger.”

GUNMAN MOVED FROM 'ROOF TO ROOF': WITNESS

An attendee of Donald Trump's Butler rally has revealed how he saw the shooter move from "roof to roof" before the former US President was shot.

Ben Macer said he saw the gunman on a rooftop about "200 to 250 yards" (180m to 225) away from where Trump was on stage.

"[I] saw the guy move from roof to roof. [I] told an officer [the alleged shooter] was on the roof," Mr Macer told news outlet KDKA-TV.

"When I turned around to go back to where I was, it was when the gunshots started, and then it was just chaos, and we all came running away, and that was that."

FBI swarm home of suspected shooter

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A number of law enforcement vehicles were stationed at a residence listed as Crooks’s address on his voter registration record, accompanied by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and a bomb squad on-site.

Crooks’s father, Matthew Crooks, 53, told CNN he was trying to make sense of what happened and would wait until he spoke to law enforcement before commenting on his son.

The FBI has said it was working to determine a motive for the attack.


Trump authorises donations page for shooting victims

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A GoFundMe page authorised by former President Donald Trump to support supporters and families affected by the rally in Pennsylvania has raised over A$268,000.

Since its launch, the page overseen Trump campaign's national finance director Meredith O'Rourke, has garnered over 2000 donations.

"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," the GoFundMe reads.

"All donations will be directed to these proud Americans as they grieve and recover. May God bless and unite our nation."


'Fight!': Trump shooting t-shirts go on sale

US businesses have been promoting the sale of T-shirts that feature a photo of Donald Trump in the moments after he was shot.

The viral photo of the US President raising his fist in the air, while is face in smeared in blood, and surrounded by Secret Service agents has been used in these shirts.

Some T-Shirts have the wordings "Fight! Fight Fight!" on them, while others say "If you come at the king, you best not mess".

Content creators the Hodge Twins shared a post on X, formerly Twitter, of the Donald Trump "Fight! Fight! Fight! T-shirt, saying "100 per cent of the profits from the shirt go to Trump's campaign".



More world leaders react to Trump shooting

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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was appalled by the “shocking scenes,” and sent his best wishes to Trump and his family.

“Political violence in any form has no place in our societies and my thoughts are with all the victims of this attack,” he said on X.

French President Emmanuel Macron wished Trump a prompt recovery.

"My thoughts are with President Donald Trump, the victim of an assassination attempt," Mr Macron posted on X.

"I send him my wishes for a speedy recovery. A spectator has died, several are injured. It is a tragedy for our democracies. France shares the shock and indignation of the American people."

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was deeply concerned by “the attack on my friend.”

“Strongly condemn the incident. Violence has no place in politics and democracies,” he said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the deceased, those injured and the American people.”

Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni wished Trump a quick recovery and said in a statement she hoped “the next few months of the election campaign will see dialogue and responsibility prevail over hatred and violence.”

'Be on guard': Albo's warning to Australia

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In the wake of the US shooting, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called on Australians to be “on guard” against anyone seeking to use misinformation, particularly through social media, to create division.

“This is a day to unite, to express our concern regardless of one’s political views,” he said.

“There is no place for the events that we saw today.”

Mr Albanese said he did not want Australia to import the division in the US, describing it as a “good thing” that as leader he could walk in public, visit shopping centres or other venues in relative safety.

“I don’t want to see that diminished,” he said.

– Clare Armstrong

'Cowardly assassination attempt'

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President of Argentina Javier Milei condemned the shooting as a "cowardly assassination attempt" and criticized the "international left."
Meanwhile, Nigel Farage, leader of the United Kingdom’s Reform Party, claimed that mainstream media was propagating "a narrative of hatred against my friend Donald Trump."

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