Gun YouTuber responds after Trump's would-be assassin was killed wearing his merch
Matt Carriker, a popular firearm-focused YouTuber, said he was "shocked and confused" to learn the shooter was wearing his merch.
YouTube.com/DemolitionRanch
- A popular YouTuber was 'shocked and confused' that Trump's shooter wore his merch.
- Matt Carriker has 11.6 million subscribers on the gun-focused hub "Demolition Ranch."
- Carriker said he never knew Crooks and condemned political violence.
Matt Carriker, a popular firearm-focused YouTuber, said he was "shocked and confused" to learn the shooter was wearing his channel merch during the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, who shot Trump in the ear at a Pennsylvania rally Saturday, was killed wearing a t-shirt that read "Demolition Ranch" — the name of Carriker's channel, which has 11.6 million subscribers.
"To see my name next to the shooter's name — it sucks, and I wish we could keep that from happening," Carriker said in a video posted Monday.
Texas-based Carriker added he never knew Crooks.
The FBI said Monday it was working '"tirelessly" to figure out the shooter's motive; Crooks' acquaintances have also said they didn't know why the 20-year-old opened fire, killing one bystander.
Carriker said he's been creating YouTube videos for 10 years, and avoids politics across his three channels, which also chronicle his work as a veterinarian.
But he was "thrust into the conversation."
Carriker condemned hate and violence "no matter what side you're on politically." As a husband and father, he added, he didn't want anyone to be "in any more danger because of my videos."
Carriker also expressed his condolences to the family of Corey Comperatore, who died in the shooting, and wished those injured a "pain-free recovery."
He did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.