Current:Home > reviewsJohnathan Walker:1 week after Trump assassination attempt: Updates on his wound, the shooter -ProsperityStream Academy
Johnathan Walker:1 week after Trump assassination attempt: Updates on his wound, the shooter
TradeEdge View
Date:2025-04-10 12:53:45
Editor's Note: This page is Johnathan Walkera summary of news on the Trump shooting for Saturday, July 20. For the latest, view our file for Sunday, July 21.
A week after a failed assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump that left a Butler, Pennsylvania, rally attendee dead, investigators are digging into the background and potential motives of the suspected gunman, as questions remain about the security measures in place before the shooting.
Trump, who was on stage when the shooting happened last Saturday evening and was whisked away by Secret Service, sustained injury to his ear. His staff said he was "fine" after receiving treatment at a local hospital.
On Saturday, new details about the injury were released by Rep. Ronny Jackson, who was previously Trump's White House physician. Jackson said he has treated Trump daily since the shooting.
Trump "is doing well, and he is recovering as expected from the gunshot wound sustained last Saturday afternoon," Jackson said in a memo.
Jackson said the bullet that injured Trump came less than one-quarter of an inch from "entering his head," and hit the top of his right ear, causing a 2-cm wound. The wound is healing properly and swelling has resolved, but a dressing is still required because of occasional bleeding, Jackson said.
Corey Comperatore, the volunteer firefighter and father of two who was killed in the crowd, was remembered and mourned at a gathering on Thursday and his funeral procession Friday.
Here's the latest on what we know:
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 Thomas Matthew Crooks excelled in academics and had no disciplinary history, or record of having been bullied. He got along with classmates and school employees, the district said. (Classmates have given varying accounts of Crooks' experience in school.)
"It would be wildly irresponsible for us to speculate on his state of mind in the two years since we last saw Thomas Crooks," the district said.
The school district also has no records of him being a member of or trying out for the rifle team, but said it was possible he had informally attended a practice. A classmate previously told USA TODAY that Crooks had tried out for the team their freshman year but that Crooks couldn't compete.
It took too long to evacuate Trump after shooting, experts say
In the moments after Secret Service covered 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 videos.
But former Secret Service officials and experts told USA TODAY it went against protocol to take that long to usher him out, and further endangered his life. It is standard protocol to keep the "protectee" bent at the waist so agents can fully surround him and cover his body as they walk him away.
“It was absolutely terrible coverage trying to get him out,” said former Secret Service Director John Magaw.
“It should have been faster,” said A.T. Smith, the deputy director of the Secret Service from 2012 to 2015. Read more.
Probes continue into how law enforcement failed to prevent shooting
At least some members of law enforcement present at the Butler rally had spotted Crooks before he ever took a shot, according to officials, videos shared by rally attendees and news reports.
Crooks was positioned on a rooftop near the rally site, where law enforcement recovered an AR-style rifle afterward, Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said.
A local police officer came face-to-face with Crooks just before the shooting. Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe told Reuters the officer was hoisted up to the roof by his partner. The gunman saw the officer and pointed his rifle at him before the officer, holding to the roof's edge, dropped down to safety.
Kenneth Valentine, a former Secret Service special agent in charge, told Reuters the agency responsible for protecting Trump should have had personnel surveilling rooftops and in a position to neutralize any threats.
Crooks' motive remains unclear.
Anthony Guglielmi, the Secret Service spokesman, told USA TODAY that "there is an independent review panel that's going to look at all aspects of this" including the evacuation process.
Contributing: Josh Meyer, John Bacon, Christopher Cann, Jorge L. Ortiz, Kenny Jacoby, Kristine Phillips, Bryce Buyakie, USA TODAY Network; Reuters
veryGood! (9)
Related
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Beyoncé features Shaboozey twice on 'Cowboy Carter': Who is the hip-hop, country artist?
- Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus duet on 'Cowboy Carter' track: What to know about 'II Most Wanted'
- Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
- US Open player compensation rises to a record $65 million, with singles champs getting $3.6 million
- Former US Sen. Joe Lieberman and VP candidate to be remembered at hometown funeral service
- After Baltimore bridge tragedy, how safe is commercial shipping? | The Excerpt
- Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Husband Ryan Anderson Break Up 3 Months After Her Prison Release
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- 'Ernie Hudson doesn't age': Fans gush over 78-year-old 'Ghostbusters' star
Ranking
- Oklahoma parole board recommends governor spare the life of man on death row
- Women's March Madness Sweet 16 Friday schedule, picks: South Carolina, Texas in action
- Suspect charged with murder, home invasion in deadly Illinois stabbing and beating rampage
- Score Up to 95% off at Nordstrom Rack's Clear the Rack Sale: Madewell, Kate Spade, Chloé & More
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Author of children's book about grief hit with another attempted murder charge in death of husband
- Hit the Road with the Best Bicycles & Scooters for Kids
- Chicago plans to move migrants to other shelters and reopen park buildings for the summer
Recommendation
Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
How Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s 6-Year-Old Daughter Rumi Appears in Cowboy Carter
Warriors' Draymond Green says he 'deserved' early ejection; Steph Curry responds
South Dakota officials to investigate state prison ‘disturbance’ in Sioux Falls
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
NC State is no Cinderella. No. 11 seed playing smarter in improbable March Madness run
Michigan GOP lawmaker falsely claims that buses carrying March Madness teams are ‘illegal invaders’
Solar eclipse warnings pile up: Watch out for danger in the sky, on the ground on April 8