A 20-year-old Pennsylvania man, Thomas Matthew Crooks, who tried to assassinate former US President Donald Trump during a campaign rally this weekend.
killed Crooks after firing multiple shots at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, from a nearby rooftop.
As authorities try to understand his motives, here’s what we know about the alleged shooter.
Thomas Crooks described as ‘quiet’, ‘lonely’
The first details that have emerged about Crooks are that he is a young man with an entry-level job near his Pennsylvania hometown. He graduated from high school in 2022 and was known as an intelligent but quiet classmate.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said his social media profile contained no threatening language, nor did they find a history of mental health problems. The agency said he acted alone and has not identified a motive.
According to ABC News, Crooks’ former schoolmates described him as a “quiet” student who often came across as “lonely.”
Thomas Matthew Crooks graduated from high school in Pennsylvania in 2022. Source: AFP / Handout sheet
He seemed “socially reserved,” but a former schoolmate could not recall him ever talking about politics or Trump.
Trump, 78, was shot in the ear during the rally, killing one bystander and seriously injuring two spectators.
Jason Kohler, who said he attended the same school as Crooks, said the alleged shooter was often bullied.
Donald Trump was pushed into a car by Secret Service agents after the shooting at his campaign rally. Source: MONKEY / Gene J. Puskar/AP
“He was quiet, but he was just being bullied. He was being bullied so bad,” Kohler told reporters.
He said Crooks was bullied because of his clothing style, sometimes wearing hunting clothes.
According to The New York Times, Dan Grzybek, a county council representative in the area where Crooks grew up, said the neighborhood was “almost entirely middle class, maybe upper middle class.”
According to The Times, Crooks worked at a nursing home and the organization was shocked to learn of his involvement in the shooting.
“We are shocked and saddened to learn of his involvement as Thomas Matthew Crooks performed his duties without any qualms and his background checks were positive,” said Marcie Grimm, administrator of the Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
Crooks had no military ties
After the incident, investigators found a “suspicious device” in Crooks’ car. The car was examined by bomb squad experts and is currently being analyzed.
They noted that suspected explosives have been collected as evidence.
Authorities are now searching Crooks’ phone.
Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh office, told reporters that the weapon used in the shooting was an AR-type semi-automatic rifle that was purchased legally.
Investigators suspect the gun was purchased by Crooks’ father.
Rojek added that there are no indications of psychological problems so far.
According to Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder, Crooks also had no military ties.
The FBI told reporters they are investigating the incident as an attempted murder and possibly as an act of domestic terrorism.
Crooks acted alone
According to the FBI, the shooter was believed to have worked alone. According to the FBI, authorities have not yet been able to establish an ideology behind him.
His political preferences were not immediately clear.
News reports indicated that he was a registered Republican, but also reported that he had previously donated money to a progressive political action committee with Democratic sympathies.
According to social media platform Discord, an account was identified that appeared to be linked to the suspect, but the account was “rarely used”.
A spokesperson added that “we have found no evidence that the photo was used to plan this incident, promote violence or discuss his political views”.
The suspect’s father, Matthew Crooks, told CNN he wanted to figure out “what the hell is going on” before talking about his son.
Trump rally victim was firefighter and father
The bystander killed in the shooting has been identified as Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old firefighter and father of two.
“We lost a fellow Pennsylvanian last night, Corey Comperatore,” the state’s governor, Josh Shapiro, told reporters. “I just spoke with his wife and two daughters.”
He said the victim was a church-going firefighter and an avid Trump supporter who “loved his community and most of all … his family.”
The other victims have not yet been identified, but NPR news station WESA quoted hospital officials in Pittsburgh as saying both were local men and remained in critical condition.
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