Team USA Olympics coach Steve Kerr has condemned a “shameful” and “demoralizing” day in the history of the United States, after former President Donald Trump was shot at a campaign rally.
Trump was speaking on stage in Butler, Pennsylvania when a shooter attempted to assassinate him. A bullet grazed his ear before Secret Service agents rushed the stage to protect him.
The historic events unfolded thousands of miles away from where Team USA’s basketball team is preparing for the upcoming Paris Olympics. However, head coach Kerr used a press conference to address the incident.
“This is a time when we feel very proud to represent our country, wearing ‘USA’ on our chest and competing in the Olympics,” Kerr told reporters. “We’ve talked to the players about how important it is to show the best version of ourselves as human beings to represent our country in a respectful, dignified manner. It makes you want to do that even more so, because this is really shameful for us to sit here and think about what happened and what’s going on in our country.”
For Kerr, the shocking incident likely brought back tragic memories from his own past. His father, Malcolm Kerr, was assassinated in 1984 in Beirut while serving as president of the American University of Beirut.
“It’s such a demoralizing day for our country, and it’s yet another example of not only our political division but also our gun culture,” Kerr added. “A 20-year-old with an AR-15 trying to shoot the former president. It’s hard to process everything, and it’s scary to think about where this goes because of the issues that already exist in the country. So this is a terrible day. Thank God Trump wasn’t hit, but it’s just so demoralizing in every which way.”
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On Sunday morning, the FBI identified the suspected gunman as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, a registered Republican who had donated to Joe Biden. His father, Matthew Crooks, 53, told CNN he was trying to figure out “what the hell is going on” but would “wait until I talk to law enforcement” before speaking.
Crooks fired at least eight bullets from a rooftop just 130 yards from where Trump was speaking to thousands of fans at 6:15 PM. Law enforcement sources told CBS News that Crooks, from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was armed with “an AR-style rifle.” During the attack, he appeared to be wearing merchandise promoting Demolition Ranch, a popular YouTube channel devoted to firearms, according to NBC News.
Special Agent Kevin Rojek, the FBI officer in charge, said Crooks had been identified using DNA as he was not carrying any ID. State voter records show Crooks was a registered Republican. According to US media, when he was 17, he donated $15 to the liberal ActBlue political action committee on January 20, 2021, Biden’s Inauguration Day.
A member of the crowd was killed in the deadly shooting, while two others who were wounded are in critical condition. All three are males, according to law enforcement officials.
Trump was left bloodied and hurt during the assassination attempt, seen suddenly grabbing his ear as loud bangs rang out before he ducked to the floor.
The Secret Service swarmed around the 45th US President as piercing screams were heard from the MAGA crowd. He then got to his feet with blood pouring down his cheek, raised his fist in the air, and defiantly shouted “fight” while the audience chanted “USA” as he was dragged off stage and bundled into a vehicle.
