AP
On July 13th, former president Donald J. Trump was holding a rally when gunshots rang out. The former president put his hand to his ear and ducked. Secret Service agents immediately rushed to the stage to protect him. When they began to escort him off, Trump raised his fist in the air and mouthed the word “fight.” Later on, Trump said on his social media platform that he had been “shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of [his] right ear.” The FBI identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old man who opened fire with an AR-style rifle from the roof of a nearby building. The gunman was shot dead at the scene by a Secret Service sniper. Three other men were shot that day, including Corey Comparatore, a volunteer fire chief who lost his life while trying to shield his family. The other two men, Jim Copenhaver and David Dutch, later accused the Secret Service of negligence in its security response.
After the shooter was identified in the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, law enforcement launched a thorough investigation to determine the motive behind the attack. Security protocols were immediately tightened around Trump and other high-profile figures to prevent further incidents and prompted a national conversation about gun violence and political division.