During a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump ended with a fatal exchange of gunfire, thanks to the quick response of local law enforcement.
On July 13, a gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, climbed onto a roof overlooking the rally and opened fire on Trump and the crowd. While Trump and two rallygoers survived after being hit, a third victim, Corey Comperatore, tragically lost his life.
Crooks managed to fire eight shots before being neutralized by security. Among the officers who responded was Sergeant Aaron Zaliponi from the Adams Township Police Department, whose incredible marksmanship played a key role in ending the threat.
As Crooks fired his weapon, Zaliponi, a former infantry squad leader with the Pennsylvania National Guard’s 28th Infantry Division, quickly engaged the shooter.
According to a congressional report by Rep. Clay Higgins, Zaliponi’s shot struck the buffer tube of Crooks’ AR-15, likely disabling the rifle.
The impact of the shot sent fragments of metal and plastic into Crooks’ neck and face, stunning the assailant.
During a hearing held by the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump, Higgins revealed Zaliponi as the officer responsible for this critical shot.
Reading from Zaliponi’s testimony, Higgins described how the officer reacted upon hearing the initial gunfire.
“I hear the first three, crack, crack, crack,” Zaliponi recounted, “and at this point I’m like, OK, where are we at here? I look up, and when I see Crooks, I got his head and shoulders and can see a rifle.”
As Crooks continued to fire, Zaliponi aimed and fired his M4 rifle. The single shot likely disabled Crooks’ weapon, with Zaliponi explaining, “I know I hit him. There’s no doubt about it.”
After Zaliponi’s shot, a Secret Service counter-sniper delivered what was considered the killing blow to Crooks.
However, Higgins’ investigation suggests that Zaliponi’s shot may have done more than just disable Crooks’ rifle—it may have also directly hit the shooter, significantly wounding him.
Photos of Crooks’ rifle and other evidence show the serious damage caused by Zaliponi’s shot. According to Higgins, “Zaliponi never took his red dot off Crooks, and as Crooks rose up from shot 9, Zaliponi was a half-second away from pressing another round into Crooks when the USSS southern counter-sniper team ended the threat.”
Despite the successful response, law enforcement and the Secret Service faced criticism for what some viewed as a slow reaction.
Many rally attendees had noticed and recorded Crooks in the moments leading up to the shooting, raising questions about the security measures in place at the event.
Nevertheless, Sergeant Aaron Zaliponi’s swift and precise response likely saved lives, as his shot played a crucial role in stopping the gunman before more harm could be done.
