Lest We Forget | Trump Assassination Attempt #1
Remembering the Donald Trump assassination attempt by Thomas Crooks on July 13th, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The first assassination attempt on Donald Trump occurred on July 13, 2024, during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show Grounds near Butler, Pennsylvania. The shooter was identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, who allegedly acted alone.
Crooks fired multiple shots from an AR-15-style rifle on a rooftop about 400 feet from the stage, grazing Trump's right ear. One spectator, Corey Comperatore, was killed, and two others were critically injured.
This is a structured timeline of key events leading up to, during, and immediately after the attempt.
Before the Trump Assassination Attempt
July 3, 2024 | The Trump campaign announces a rally scheduled for July 13th in Butler, Pennsylvania.
July 7, 2024 | Crooks visits the rally site for about 20 minutes.
July 12, 2024 | Crooks practices shooting at a gun range with the rifle he used in the attack (purchased by his father).
Images of Thomas Matthew Crooks throughout the Trump Rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13th, 2024.
The Day of the Trump Assassination Attempt
July 13, 2024 (morning) | Crooks revisits the rally site around 11 a.m. for about an hour, then leaves and returns later. He flies a drone over the area for reconnaissance.
July 13, 2024 (afternoon) | Crooks purchases 50 rounds of ammunition for his rifle in Bethel Park. He arrives at the rally site and parks nearby.
- 5:45–6:00 p.m. ET | Local law enforcement identifies Crooks as a suspicious person on the roof of a nearby building (AGR building), with witnesses alerting police approximately 20 minutes before the shooting (exact timing varies by source).
- 6:02 p.m. | Trump takes the stage and begins speaking.
- 6:05–6:12 p.m. | Crooks returns to the roof of the AGR International building, assumes a prone position & opens fire, discharging eight rounds aimed at Trump (3 in measured deliberation, then 5 in quick succession).
- The eight rounds are fired by Crooks in under 6 seconds from an AR-15-style rifle. The first shot grazed Trump's ear; the remaining shots killed attendee Corey Comperatore, and wounded David Dutch and James Copenhaver.
- Sgt. Aaron M. Zaliponi of the Adams Township Police Department fires his rifle at where Crooks is positioned.
- A Secret Service counter-sniper fatally shoots Crooks.
Trump, bloodied yet defiant, urges Americans to “fight!”
Immediately following Crooks’ unsuccessful assassination attempt, a bloodied Trump briefly stands, raises his fist to the crowd, and urges them to “Fight! Fight! Fight!” Trump is swiftly escorted offstage into a vehicle and taken to Butler Memorial Hospital for treatment.
- 6:50 p.m. | Trump's spokesperson announces that he is "fine" after the attack.
- The Evening of July 13 | Trump is discharged from the hospital, while the FBI identifies Crooks as the shooter.
After the Trump Assassination Attempt
July 14, 2024 | Trump travels to New Jersey, with the incident officially labeled as an assassination attempt.
July 15, 2024 | Trump appears at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, sporting a bandage on his ear. He names Senator JD Vance as his Vice Presidential running mate.
The assassination attempt prompts widespread investigations into Secret Service security failures under the supervision of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.
The Secret Service Investigation & Hearing
Director Kimberly Cheatle resigns as Director of U.S. Secret Service following intense backlash due to her catastrophic incompetence during congressional testimony.
Critics repeatedly highlight how she "dodged every question," providing no substantive answers about basic security failures, and coming across as unwilling to explain the lapses that allowed for Trump's near-assassination.
The hearing was seen as the tipping point that made her position untenable, with many describing her performance as proof of calculated negligence. When asked why there was no one on the roof where Crooks would eventually make his attempt on Trump's life, the Secret Service grew belligerent and evasive.
The FBI Hides Crooks's Far-Left Social Media
FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate initially testifies that the FBI had identified a social media account believed to be associated with Crooks, and that the account had posted over 700 comments.
Abbate asserts some of these comments reflected, among other things, “anti-immigration” themes, implying Crooks was a member of the MAGA movement. He refuses to offer proof of his claims.
Sen. Blackburn presses FBI Dep. Director Abbate regarding a Gab account linked to Crooks that showed leftist views, including posts that were:
- Pro-Biden/Harris
- Pro-illegal immigration
- Pro-Covid lockdowns
- Showing support for Biden's border policies.
Blackburn eventually forces Abbate to acknowledge the authenticity of the “Gab” account, undermining his earlier testimony referencing phantom "right-wing" social media posts.
Did the Secret Service Fail to Protect Trump?
During advance planning, law enforcement mapped the venue into seven color-coded sectors to assign responsibilities between agencies. This showed which areas fell under Secret Service control (typically the inner perimeter around the stage, crowd, and immediate grounds) versus outer sectors handled by state and local police, the FBI, etc.
The map helped coordinate sniper positions, patrols, and lines of sight, with color coding illustrating overlaps or primary coverage. The Secret Service was in charge of Sectors #1 and #2.
