Trump Assassination Attempt: Shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks Was Featured In BlackRock Ad In 2023

Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old identified as the shooter who injured former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally, briefly appeared in a BlackRock advertisement, the company disclosed on Sunday.

BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, confirmed that Crooks participated in the ad as an unpaid individual alongside a teacher. The advertisement, filmed in 2022 at Bethel Park High School where Crooks graduated that same year, featured him in the background. Following the revelation, BlackRock announced its decision to withdraw the ad from circulation and pledged to provide the footage to law enforcement authorities.

In a statement, BlackRock strongly condemned the attack, which resulted in one fatality and left two others critically injured. "The assassination attempt on former President Trump is abhorrent. We are relieved that former President Trump escaped serious injury and our thoughts are with all the innocent bystanders and victims of this tragic event, especially the individual who lost their life," the company stated, as reported by Fortune magazine.

BlackRock, set to announce its earnings on Monday, has faced scrutiny over its holdings in firearm manufacturers through its index funds. Meanwhile, the FBI, identifying Thomas M. Crooks as the suspect, is investigating the incident as an attempted assassination. FBI officials clarified that the perpetrator acted alone and stated there is no known specific ideology or evidence of mental health issues or threatening behavior on Crooks' social media profiles.

According to state voter records, Crooks was a registered Republican who, at the age of 17, donated $15 to a Democratic political action committee. At the time of the shooting, he worked as a dietary aide at a nursing home. The Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center confirmed Crooks' employment, noting he had passed a clean background check.

The FBI disclosed that the AR-style 5.56 caliber rifle used in the shooting was legally purchased, likely by the suspect's father. Additionally, authorities found and safely handled a suspicious device discovered in Crooks' vehicle, which underwent inspection by bomb technicians.