Many Posts Claims have been circulating on social media that the account for X, formerly known as Twitter, is linked to Thomas Matthew Crooks, the shooter at the Pennsylvania rally.

Thomas Matthew Crookes

“I hate Trump. I hate the Republican Party.” pic.twitter.com/dEwWOqdPyq

— The Patriot Oasis™ (@ThePatriotOasis) July 14, 2024

Verdict: False

The people depicted in the videos and photos are not actually members of Crooks, and the user who originally uploaded the photos and videos claims they were a joke post.

Fact check:

Former President Donald Trump was shot in the ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13. The New York Times The shooter, identified as Crooks, is a 20-year-old man from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, according to reports.

Many Social media Posts After the shooting, a photo purporting to show the suspect's mug shot was circulated; International media The media also used the photo. “I'd be shocked if this Thomas Matthew Crooks bug isn't some left-wing Antifa scum,” one post read. “He's just the same loose-mouthed, dumb, brainless wannabe revolutionary as the rest of us.”

This photo does not belong to Crooks. The image belongs to a user with the handle X. FollowAfter the post was widely reported, the account was locked and the tweets were quickly deleted. There are no known archives of the page itself, but records of the page indicate the account's users. Assert The post is joke And that's “going too far.” postThe image, which shows the user inside a theater, appears to match the appearance of the person in the viral photo.

that's right Follow Just trolling everyone?

I'm confused.

Was Thomas Matthew Crooks the shooter? pic.twitter.com/C1jiC4DaJF

— Dating and Money (@Datingandmoney) July 14, 2024

Yes, he regrets pretending to be a man. pic.twitter.com/9HCLV2J4fJ

— 🍓🐦‍⬛🏴‍☠️PuckArks🏴‍☠️🐦‍⬛🍓 (@IAmPuckArks) July 14, 2024

People released a very long video from the “shoot”. Their own accounts Follow Read more here. Ah, yes 🫠. pic.twitter.com/KOUCluTVPT

— Misha (@misjamarije) July 14, 2024

“People prematurely sharing videos of the “active shooter.” People posting memes about this on their own accounts. Follow“…what time is it?” one post translated.

Shayan Sardarizadeh, a journalist for BBC Verify Posts He tweeted about the user, saying the account was “the exact same user X who was posing as a shooter in a bizarre trolling stunt.”

This is not a video of the shooter at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania. This is of the very same X user who pretended to be the shooter in a bizarre trolling stunt.

He posted the video an hour ago, then quickly deleted it, and it's now being shared as if it were a message from the real shooter. https://t.co/ShDpQ1UxzN pic.twitter.com/S5wEqpu0QX

— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) July 14, 2024

Check Your Fact has attempted to contact the person behind the account and will update this post if they comment.