 "This 2021 photo provided by Bethel Park School District shows student Thomas Matthew Crooks who graduated from Bethel Park High School with the Class of 2022, in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. He was identified by the FBI as the shooter involved in an assassination attempt of Trump at a campaign rally on on 13 July in Butler. AP")
Thomas Matthew Crooks has become the most infamous name in America overnight. Hours after an assassination attempt on former US president Donald Trump in Pennsylvania’s Butler, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified the 20-year-old as the shooter.
Secret Service snipers killed Crooks soon after he fired multiple shots at the rally from a nearby rooftop. The FBI has now released his photo – it shows the attacker wearing glasses and smiling into the camera.
The young man from the small Pittsburgh suburb of Bethel Park has left the US and the rest of the world stunned. A day after the shooting at the Trump rally , investigators are still looking for answers.
How did a 20-year-old carry out the attack? What was his motive? Here’s what we know about Crooks so far:
The life of Thomas Crooks: From wearing hunting outfits to the membership at shooting club
In school, Thomas Crooks was a Math wiz. He received a $500 “star award” from the National Math and Science Initiative, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
In 2022, he graduated from Bethel Park High School. Former classmates describe him as a “quiet” and “socially reserved” student, who often seemed “lonely”, according to a report in ABC News.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsA classmate described Crooks as someone who “didn’t have a ton of friends”. He was bullied for his appearance and clothing choices like wearing hunting outfits to school, ABC News reported. He had a membership at a local shooting club, the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, for at least a year, according to a report in BBC.
In high school, he tried out for the rifle team but was rejected, The Post reported. A former student Jameson Murphy told the publication that he tried out and was such a “comically bad shot”. He was unable to make the team. “Crooks couldn’t shoot at all. He was a terrible shot,” another classmate told The Post.
His high school counsellor described him as “respectful” and said he never knew Crooks to be political. His classmates have no recollections of the shooter discussing politics or Trump.
But he did seem to have an interest in the subject. He reportedly donated $15 to liberal campaign group ActBlue in 2021. He also registered to vote a week before he turned 18 as a Republican, revealed public records. This year’s presidential election would have been the first in which he would vote.
There was nothing alarming about the 20-year-old. He had no criminal record, he lived a middle-class life with his parents and worked at a nursing home as a dietary aide. Marcie Grimm, the administrator of the nursing centre, said in a statement, “We are shocked and saddened to learn of his involvement as Thomas Matthew Crooks performed his job without concern and his background check was clean.”
Shooter’s rifle belonged to his farther
On the day of the attack, Crooks travelled an hour away from his home. He climbed to the roof of a glass research company which is adjacent to Butler Farm Show, where Trump held the rally.
Crooks used an AR-15-style rifle for the attack. He fired from the rooftop, which was roughly 150 metres from where Trump stood at the podium of the open-air venue. At least five shots were reportedly heard at the rally. The shooting left Trump wounded – it hit his right ear – and left one man dead.
A video obtained by TMZ claims to show the suspect lying on his belly on a rooftop, aiming a rifle.
The weapon found next to the shooter’s body belonged to his father Matthew Crooks. The rifle, using 5.56 ammunition, was purchased legally by him, an FBI official was quoted as saying by USA TODAY. However, the investigator did not know if the young would-be assassin had permission to use the rifle.
Reports in the media say explosives were found in the car belonging to the gunman. A source told ABC News that the explosives looked like grenades. However, officials are waiting for forensic reports.
The FBI said on Sunday that Crooks’ social media profile does not contain threatening language, nor have they found any history of mental health issues. They said he acted alone.
A family with a penchant for guns?
The shooter’s family is under the scanner. It does not have much of a digital footprint but some online tracks link them to marketplaces that purchase and sell guns, reports USA TODAY.
Apart from the AR-15-style rifle, Matthew Crooks made a purchase in 2020 from Botach, a website that describes itself as one of the leading retailers of tactical supplies used in law enforcement, the military and home defence, the report says. However, it is unclear if he bought a firearm.
A Gmail account using the name Matthew Crooks also posted a review for a licensed gun seller in Nevada seven months ago. The reviewer praised the business as “the easiest way to get rid of unwanted firearms” and recommended it to others, the report says.
The motive and other clues
Crooks’ attempt at assassinating the former president has left the FBI hunting for clues. The motive of the shooter has not yet been revealed.
Authorities have not yet identified “an ideology associated with” Crooks, said FBI agent Kevin Rojek.
Neighbours spoke of a bomb scare in the early hours of Sunday, a day after the shooting, claiming the houses surrounding Crooks’ were told of the threat. A bomb squad truck arrived at the residence, according to a report in Financial Times. Explosives were also found inside the home.
A part of the road near Crooks’ house was cordoned off. Police and other law enforcement officers were visiting the family’s house and some boxes were being carried out, the report says.
Those who know the family are shocked. Dean Sierka, 52, said that he saw the young man at least once a week, often walking to the nursing home from his parents’ house. “You wouldn’t have expected this. The parents and the family are all really nice people,” told USA TODAY. “It’s crazy.”
While authorities continue to investigate Crooks, the attack leaves many unsolved questions. Most importantly, why did the young man want to kill Donald Trump?
With inputs from agencies