“Trump rally shooter has been identified as 32-year-old California resident, Hank Pecker.”
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Donald Trump shooting suspect was not identified as 32-year-old California resident ‘Hank Pecker’
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The FBI identified the shooting suspect as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.
Social media posts are spreading misinformation about the person authorities suspect of shooting and killing one person, injuring former President Donald Trump and critically injuring two others at the candidate’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
A couple of hours after Secret Service agents rushed Trump, whose ear was bloodied, offstage, a July 13 Threads post claimed to have information on the shooter. "Trump Rally Shooter has been identified as 32 year old, California resident, Hank Pecker," the text in the photo read.
(Screenshot from Threads)
This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
Information released by the FBI contradicts this claim.
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A July 14 FBI statement said: "The FBI has identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the suspect involved in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on July 13, in Butler, Pennsylvania."
The investigation continues.
A reverse-image search showed the photo in the Threads post was uploaded in February 2022 by Twitch streamer Hasan Piker. According to Dot Esports, an esports and gaming news site, Piker has roleplayed a "gun-loving, self-proclaimed libertarian" character named Hank Pecker in his videos.
The Secret Service said July 13 that the suspect "fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue. US Secret Service personnel neutralized the shooter, who is now deceased."
We rate the claim that the Trump shooter was a 32-year-old California resident named Hank Pecker Pants on Fire!
Our Sources
Threads post (archived), July 13, 2024
FBI, FBI Statement on Incident in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 14, 2024
Instagram post by Hasan Piker, Feb. 19, 2022
Dot Esports, Slasher sneaks in reference to Hasan’s Hank Pecker character on news broadcast, July 29, 2022
Reuters, Who is Thomas Matthew Crooks, the suspected Trump rally shooter, July 14, 2024
The Washington Post, What we know about the Trump rally shooting in Pennsylvania, July 14, 2024
X post by Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi, July 13, 2024
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Donald Trump shooting suspect was not identified as 32-year-old California resident ‘Hank Pecker’
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