Anti-Trump protestor falsely tied to assassination attempt

"Maxwell Yearick is now the suspected shooter... Why won't they just release the details," says a July 14 X post sharing a mugshot.

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Screenshot of an X post taken July 16, 2024

Similar posts have circulated elsewhere on X, Facebook and Instagram in several languages -- many referring to Yearick as a member of Antifa, a loose coalition of anti-fascist activists that US conservatives commonly blame for unrest.

Trump was rushed off stage by Secret Service agents after Crooks, 20, opened fire at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, killing a bystander and critically injuring two attendees. The former president said on his Truth Social platform that a bullet "pierced the upper part of my right ear" (archived here).

The attempted assassination has fueled a wave of misinformation and conspiracy theories online -- including posts misidentifying the shooter.

A keyword search found the photo shared online comes from an April 2016 local news report about a police altercation outside Trump's first presidential campaign rally in Pittsburgh. Yearick and two other anti-Trump protestors were arrested and charged with aggravated assault (archived here).

In April 2017, Yearick was sentenced to three to 12 months in jail after pleading guilty, according to court documents (archived here). He was also sentenced to one year of probation and 100 hours of community service.

There is no evidence he has any ties to the recent attack on Trump -- the FBI has identified Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania as the lone shooter (archived here).

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An undated image obtained July 14, 2024 shows a driver's license photograph of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the suspected shooter of former US President Donald Trump (AFP / HANDOUT)

"While the investigation to date indicates the shooter acted alone, the FBI continues to conduct logical investigative activity to determine if there were any co-conspirators associated with this attack," the agency said in a July 14, 2024 statement (archived here). "At this time, there are no current public safety concerns."

Crooks's political leanings were not immediately clear. News reports indicate he was a registered Republican but that he previously gave money to a progressive political action committee.

AFP has debunked other misinformation about the assassination attempt on Trump here.