Investment giant BlackRock is pulling an ad that included Thomas Crooks, the gunman who shot at Donald Trump, injuring the former president and killing an attendee at a rally near Pittsburgh on Saturday. “In 2022, we ran an ad featuring a teacher from Bethel Park High School, in which several unpaid students briefly appeared in the background, including Thomas Matthew Crooks,” a spokesperson for the company said Sunday.
The video went viral on X and other social media platforms on Sunday. BlackRock said the assassination attempt on former President Trump was “abhorrent” and it is “thankful” that he wasn’t seriously injured. “As our leadership team communicated to colleagues last night, BlackRock strongly condemns political violence of any kind and will do our part to promote civility and unity in the country,” the company said.