In a startling revelation, popular firearms influencer Matt Carriker expressed his shock and confusion upon discovering that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the assailant in an attempted assassination on Donald Trump, was wearing one of his branded t-shirts during the incident.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was killed by Secret Service snipers after opening fire at a Pennsylvania rally, injuring Trump and two others, and tragically killing a firefighter. Crooks was reportedly wearing a grey t-shirt with the word “Demolitia” across the chest and back, a piece of merchandise sold by Carriker through his online channel, Demolition Ranch.
Carriker, a Texas-based veterinarian who operates two firearms-focused YouTube channels, addressed the issue in a recent video. “As a lot of you guys know, we were shocked and confused to find out that the shooter who tried to assassinate Trump was wearing merch from my channel, wearing a Demolition Ranch t-shirt,” he said. “That sucked to see that. That was rough.”
He further explained the impossibility of vetting every individual who purchases his merchandise. “We don’t vet the people who buy our shirts … I wish I could,” Carriker stated. “I would love to keep people like that from buying, wearing, being associated with that article of clothing.”
Carriker emphasized the personal connection he has to his brand, contrasting it with larger corporations. “I think the difference in a gunman wearing a pair of Nike shoes and a gunman wearing my t-shirt is this brand is much more personal to me than Nike is to its executives,” he noted. “To see my name next to the shooter’s name — I wish we could keep that from happening.”
He also clarified that Crooks was merely a fan who had purchased a t-shirt from his online store and that he had no personal connection with him. Despite inquiries from the media, Carriker stressed that he did not know Crooks.
Voter status records revealed that Crooks was a registered Republican, though his motive for the attack remains unclear. The incident has raised significant questions about the unforeseen consequences of brand associations in the digital age, particularly in the context of firearms and political violence.
