In a shocking turn of events, an advertisement has been yanked from the airwaves after an assassination attempt on Donald Trump shocked the nation.
At a Pennsylvania rally on Saturday (July 13), the former president dodged multiple bullet strikes. While Trump narrowly escaped, he sustained a minor injury to his ear from a bullet that grazed him.
The shooting rampage at the rally also left two people critically injured and sadly claimed the life of a 50-year-old man.
The man who died was identified as Corey Comperatore, who heroically died while protecting his family from the gunman.
The assailant, neutralized by the Secret Service, was 20-year-old Thomas Crooks.
Before the tragic incident, Crooks had a standoff with a police officer who backed off after Crooks aimed his rifle at him.
After the attack, internet detectives and journalists have been piecing together Crooks’ background. Notably, investigative journalist Laura Loomer uncovered an old BlackRock ad from 2022 featuring Crooks.
The ad, which went viral after Loomer’s reveal, captures a teacher from Crooks’ old high school talking about his role while interacting with students, including Crooks.
Filmed at Bethel Park High School, the same year Crooks graduated, the advertisement has now been pulled by BlackRock following the outcry.
BlackRock swiftly responded to the controversy, stating, “In 2022, we ran an ad featuring a teacher from Bethel Park High School, in which several unpaid students briefly appeared in the background, including Thomas Matthew Crooks,” according to an emailed statement to Reuters.
The company also expressed its horror over the assassination attempt: “The assassination attempt on former President Trump is abhorrent. We’re thankful former President Trump wasn’t seriously injured, and thinking about all the innocent bystanders and victims of this awful act, especially the person who was killed.”
While BlackRock remains under scrutiny, former classmates of Crooks have provided some insights into his character.
Remembered by peer Summer Barkley, Crooks was described as a bright student with a particular zeal for history, “Anything on government and history he seemed to know about,” she told the BBC.