The FBI has officially closed its investigation into the 2024 attempted assassination of President Donald Trump, concluding that the gunman acted alone and without a clear motive. The announcement comes more than a year after the near-fatal attack during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, which left one supporter dead and Trump narrowly wounded by a bullet that grazed his ear.
FBI Director Kash Patel, in an interview with Fox News, said the case was treated as a “Day One priority” and confirmed the president was briefed on the findings. “He was satisfied with the results and where we left it,” Patel stated.
Deputy Director Dan Bongino emphasized the depth of the investigation. “We have reviewed this case over and over — looked into every nugget,” Bongino said. “There is no cover-up here. There is no motive for it, there is no reason for it.”
The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by Secret Service agents after he opened fire from a rooftop overlooking the rally. The attack claimed the life of Trump supporter Corey Comperatore and shook the nation just months before the 2024 election. The Secret Service faced intense scrutiny for failing to prevent the shooting. “We were all sitting ducks,” Comperatore’s widow Helen said in July. “Our blood is all over their hands.”
Patel sharply criticized former FBI Director Christopher Wray’s earlier handling of the case, blasting him for initially expressing uncertainty about whether the president had been shot. “The whole world knew it was a bullet,” Patel said, contrasting the current FBI leadership’s direct approach.
Despite the closure, officials said the case remains open to credible leads. The Secret Service was also criticized in a separate Department of Homeland Security watchdog report, which found the sniper protection team severely understaffed at the time of the attack.
The dramatic incident reignited support for President Trump and energized his base. His defiant cry of “Fight, fight, fight” after the shooting became a campaign rallying cry and helped galvanize momentum ahead of his successful White House return in January.
