BlackRock Inc., the world’s largest investment company, has removed an advertisement featuring Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday. The ad, which was first released in 2022, showcased a teacher from Bethel Park High School with several unpaid students appearing briefly in the background.
Upon discovering Crooks’ involvement in the tragic event, BlackRock pulled the ad and condemned his actions as “abhorrent.” The video appears to depict Crooks seated at a table with other students while the teacher writes on a dry erase board. Crooks, 20 years old, was killed by U.S. Secret Service officers after attempting to assassinate Trump during his speech.
Crooks had been previously rejected from his high school’s shooting club due to poor marksmanship, with one classmate recalling that he “couldn’t shoot at all,” according to Breitbart News. The same classmate also mentioned concerns regarding Crooks’ statements and interactions with others in the school setting.
During the attempted assassination, Trump was injured when a bullet nicked his ear, but he continued speaking as the crowd cheered him on. The shooter killed one of Trump’s supporters and wounded two others before being fatally shot by Secret Service agents.
In January, BlackRock vice chairman Philipp Hildebrand expressed concerns about the potential re-election of Donald Trump, stating that it would pose a “fundamental” challenge to Europe due to Trump’s commitment to an “America First” approach in various policy areas, including trade, diplomacy, NATO funding, and climate policy.