Chainkeen Exchange-1 week after Trump assassination attempt: Updates on his wound, the shooter

Editor's Note: This page is Chainkeen Exchangea summary of news on the Trump shooting for Saturday, July 20. For the latest, view our file for Sunday, July 21.

A week after a failed assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump that left a Butler, Pennsylvania, rally attendee dead, investigators are digging into the background and potential motives of the suspected gunman, as questions remain about the security measures in place before the shooting.

Trump, who was on stage when the shooting happened last Saturday evening and was whisked away by Secret Service, sustained injury to his ear. His staff said he was "fine" after receiving treatment at a local hospital.

On Saturday, new details about the injury were released by Rep. Ronny Jackson, who was previously Trump's White House physician. Jackson said he has treated Trump daily since the shooting.

Trump "is doing well, and he is recovering as expected from the gunshot wound sustained last Saturday afternoon," Jackson said in a memo.

Jackson said the bullet that injured Trump came less than one-quarter of an inch from "entering his head," and hit the top of his right ear, causing a 2-cm wound. The wound is healing properly and swelling has resolved, but a dressing is still required because of occasional bleeding, Jackson said.

Corey Comperatore, the volunteer firefighter and father of two who was killed in the crowd, was remembered and mourned at a gathering on Thursday and his funeral procession Friday.

Here's the latest on what we know:

Suspect's school district issues updated statement

On Saturday, the Bethel Park School District issued an updated statement, addressing several "misconceptions."

The district said its records show Thomas Matthew Crooks excelled in academics and had no disciplinary history, or record of having been bullied. He got along with classmates and school employees, the district said. (Classmates have given varying accounts of Crooks' experience in school.)

"It would be wildly irresponsible for us to speculate on his state of mind in the two years since we last saw Thomas Crooks," the district said.

The school district also has no records of him being a member of or trying out for the rifle team, but said it was possible he had informally attended a practice. A classmate previously told USA TODAY that Crooks had tried out for the team their freshman year but that Crooks couldn't compete.

It took too long to evacuate Trump after shooting, experts say

In the moments after Secret Service covered Trump and decided to evacuate him from the rally grounds, the former president paused, made himself visible to the crowd, and pumped his fist. The iconic moment was captured in photos and videos.

But former Secret Service officials and experts told USA TODAY it went against protocol to take that long to usher him out, and further endangered his life. It is standard protocol to keep the "protectee" bent at the waist so agents can fully surround him and cover his body as they walk him away.

“It was absolutely terrible coverage trying to get him out,” said former Secret Service Director John Magaw.

“It should have been faster,” said A.T. Smith, the deputy director of the Secret Service from 2012 to 2015. Read more.

Probes continue into how law enforcement failed to prevent shooting

At least some members of law enforcement present at the Butler rally had spotted Crooks before he ever took a shot, according to officials, videos shared by rally attendees and news reports.

Crooks was positioned on a rooftop near the rally site, where law enforcement recovered an AR-style rifle afterward, Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said.

A local police officer came face-to-face with Crooks just before the shooting. Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe told Reuters the officer was hoisted up to the roof by his partner. The gunman saw the officer and pointed his rifle at him before the officer, holding to the roof's edge, dropped down to safety.

Kenneth Valentine, a former Secret Service special agent in charge, told Reuters the agency responsible for protecting Trump should have had personnel surveilling rooftops and in a position to neutralize any threats.

Crooks' motive remains unclear.

Anthony Guglielmi, the Secret Service spokesman, told USA TODAY that "there is an independent review panel that's going to look at all aspects of this" including the evacuation process.

Contributing: Josh Meyer, John Bacon, Christopher Cann, Jorge L. Ortiz, Kenny Jacoby, Kristine Phillips, Bryce Buyakie, USA TODAY Network; Reuters