U.S. Olympic team coach Steve Kerr has condemned a “shameful” and “demoralizing” day in American history after former President Donald Trump was shot at a campaign rally.
Trump, 78, was speaking on stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a shooter attempted to assassinate him, with a bullet grazing his ear before Secret Service personnel rushed to the stage to protect him.
The historic events occurred thousands of miles from where the U.S. basketball team is preparing for the upcoming Paris Olympics, but head coach Kerr used a news conference to address the incident.
“This is a moment where we feel very proud to represent our country by wearing the name of the United States on our chest, competing in the Olympic Games,” 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 and dignified way. It makes you want to do it even more, because it’s really embarrassing for us to sit here and think about what happened and what’s happening in our country.”
Secret Service helps Donald Trump off stage after he was shot at campaign rally
Steve Kerr has spoken out about the shocking events, 40 years after his own father was murdered
For Kerr, the shocking incident will have brought back tragic memories from his own past, when his father Malcolm was assassinated in 1984 in Beirut while serving as president of the American University of Beirut.
“It’s a demoralizing day for our country and it’s 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 how this will all end because of the problems that already exist in the country. So this is a terrible day.
“Thank God Trump didn’t get hit, but it’s very demoralizing in every way.”
On Sunday morning, the FBI identified the suspected gunman as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, a registered Republican who had donated to Joe Biden.
Her father, Matthew Crooks, 53, told CNN he was trying to figure out “what the hell was going on” but would “wait until he spoke to the police” before speaking out.
Kerr’s mother receives condolences in Beirut after her husband’s murder in 1984
Dr. Malcolm Kerr was president of the American University of Beirut when he was assassinated by gunmen outside his office in 1984.
The robbers had fired at least eight bullets from a rooftop just 130 yards from where Trump, 78, was on stage in Butler speaking to thousands of fans at 6:15 p.m.
Law enforcement sources told CBS News that Crooks, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was armed with “an AR-style rifle.”
During the attack, he appeared to be wearing merchandise promoting one of the most popular YouTube channels dedicated to firearms: Demolition Ranch, NBC News reported.
FBI Special Agent Kevin Rojek, the officer in charge, said Crooks had been identified using DNA because he did not have any identification on him.
State voter records show Crooks was registered as a Republican. According to US media, when he was 17, he donated $15 to the liberal political action committee ActBlue on January 20, 2021, the day of Biden’s inauguration.
Trump raises his fist toward the crowd as security removes him from the stage after being shot.
One member of the crowd was killed in the deadly shooting, while two others were injured and are in critical condition. All three are men, according to authorities.
Trump was left bloodied and injured during the assassination attempt and was seen suddenly clutching his ear as loud bangs could be heard whizzing past before he crouched to the ground.
The Secret Service surrounded the 45th President of the United States as heart-wrenching screams could be heard from the MAGA crowd.
He then stood up with blood running down his cheek and raised his fist in the air and defiantly shouted “fight!” while the audience chanted “USA!” as he was dragged off the stage and shoved into a vehicle.
