False claim: Viral image incorrectly states that the shooter at a Trump rally was transgender

A viral image shared on X claims Thomas Matthew Crooks, the shooter who opened fire on 2024 Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump’s July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, was transgender.

There were so many red flags, and not one person in the governor could stop this dude? Yea, no. I ain’t buying what’s selling. I’m tired of the lies. pic.twitter.com/ipk6tX5qEf

— Sassafrass84 (@Sassafrass_84) July 18, 2024

Verdict: False

The claim is false. The image originally stems from 4chan, where the anonymous user who shared it admitted the image did not actually show Crooks. There is no evidence to suggest Crooks was transgender.

Fact Check:

Crooks researched school shooter Ethan Crumbley and “took a screenshot of a livestream of Trump speaking” before opening fire on his July 13 campaign rally, according to the New York Post. Crooks also researched how to build explosives, the outlet reported.

The X image, which has been viewed over 300,000 times as of writing, claims Crooks, the shooter who opened fire on Trump’s July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, was transgender. “Anyone know why they aren’t using this photo of the shooter?” a text caption that appears on the photo reads. The photo shows an individual with long brown hair, glasses, and lip piercings dressed in black. “There were so many red flags, and not one person in the governor [sic] could stop this dude?,” the image’s capion reads in part.

The claim is false. The image originally stems from 4chan, an anonymous online forum. The anonymous user who shared the image referred to the shooter using a transgender slur. When another user questioned whether the image really showed the shooter, the first user admitted they didn’t know, but said it is “fun” to “spread rumors.” The post, which can still be viewed via an online archive, has since been deleted.

Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. In fact, the opposite is true. On July 18, Lead Stories reported the claim was false. The outlet also indicated the image originally stemmed from 4chan. Additionally, Shayan Sardarizadeh, a journalist at BBC, labeled the claim as false via a July 18 tweet.

“This image, which falsely claims Trump attacker Thomas Matthew Crooks is trans, is being widely shared,” he wrote.

This image, which falsely claims Trump attacker Thomas Matthew Crooks is trans, is being widely shared.

The same image was posted two days ago on 4chan as a hoax by a user who said “spreading rumors is fun”. pic.twitter.com/FsvfRtTQVq

— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) July 18, 2024

Furthermore, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has not publicly commented on the claim that Crooks was transgender.

Crooks, a 20-year-old man from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, shot Trump at his July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. After opening fire on the former Republican President, Crooks was killed by the U.S. Secret Service. (RELATED: X Post Falsely Claims Trump Staged Rally Shooting)

The FBI declined to comment about the photo in an email to Check Your Fact.