BlackRock Says Gunman From Trump Rally Appeared in Firm’s Ad

Original article here.

(Bloomberg) — Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old gunman who shot and injured former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally, briefly appeared in an advertisement for BlackRock Inc., the company said on Sunday.

Crooks was one of several students who appeared in the background of the 2022 ad and was unpaid, BlackRock, the world’s largest money manager, said in a statement. The ad was filmed at Bethel Park High School, where Crooks graduated in 2022, and featured a teacher, the company said.

The company did not describe the content of the ad but said footage will be made available to the authorities and that it will be removed from circulation. It also condemned the attack on Saturday that left one attendee dead and two others critically wounded.

“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,” the statement said.

BlackRock reports earnings on Monday. The company has in the past come under scrutiny after shootings in the US because some of its index funds own shares in gunmakers.