Texas YouTuber Speaks Out After Trump Rally Shooter Wore Demolition Ranch T-Shirt

Law enforcement officers gather at the empty campaign rally site for Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. Trump’s campaign said in a statement that the former president is “doing well” following a shooting at his rally in Butler. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Texas YouTuber is speaking out after photos showed the gunman at Donald Trump’s rally this weekend wearing a T-shirt from his YouTube channel.

On the day of the shooting, the 20-year-old alleged shooter was wearing a T-shirt from the Texas-based gun-related YouTube channel Demolition Ranch. YouTuber Matt Carriker said he was “shocked and confused to hear this.”

“We usually just avoid the topic of politics. However, we were definitely immersed in the conversation after last weekend,” Carriker said in a YouTube video Monday.

The company has a large social media following, with over a million followers on Facebook and Instagram. Carriker posts videos on a YouTube channel described as “a gun channel like no other.” Its videos have been viewed over 2.4 billion times and have been followed by over 11 million subscribers.

Carriker owns the company that makes and prints Demolition Ranch T-shirts in Texas. The shirts are shipped worldwide. He said the company can’t track who buys his T-shirts online and that his channel was never intended to incite violence or hatred.

“Seeing my name next to the shooter’s name… it sucks and I wish we could stop this from happening,” he said in the video.

Carriker posted a photo on Instagram showing the deceased shooter wearing the t-shirt with the caption “What the fuck?”

“I wish the best to everyone affected by this situation,” Carriker said in the video. “Obviously, the way I’m affected is nothing compared to the way some people are affected by this situation.”

KXAN has reached out to Demolition Ranch for a statement. This story will be updated if comment is received.