Thomas Matthew Crooks: What We Know About the Alleged Trump Attacker

The small Pittsburgh suburb of Bethel Park in Pennsylvania is reeling after the FBI identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, a young local man, as the shooter who targeted Donald Trump during a campaign rally, shocking the nation. Investigators believe Crooks, armed with a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle, opened fire on the former president while he was addressing a crowd in Butler, Pennsylvania, leaving one audience member dead and two others wounded. The 20-year-old kitchen worker was shot dead at the scene by a Secret Service sniper, officials said. In his well-to-do hometown, neighbors are in shock, struggling to understand how a quiet young man could be involved in such a violent act. The FBI has stated that Crooks was the “subject involved in the assassination attempt on the former president” and that an active investigation is underway.

Who Was Thomas Matthew Crooks?

Thomas Crooks had not been carrying ID, so investigators used DNA and facial recognition technology to identify him, the FBI said. He was from Bethel Park, about 70km (43 miles) from the site of the attempted assassination, and graduated in 2022 from Bethel Park High School, where he received a $500 (£385) prize for maths and science, according to a local newspaper. Crooks worked in a local nursing home kitchen near his home, the BBC understands. State voter records show that he was a registered Republican, according to US media. He is also reported to have donated $15 to the liberal campaign group ActBlue in 2021. He had a membership at the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, a local shooting club, for at least a year. The club, based south of Pittsburgh, boasts more than 2,000 members and features multiple gun ranges, including a high-power rifle facility with targets up to 171 meters away. “Obviously, the club fully admonishes the senseless act of violence,” said attorney Robert S Bootay III, representing the organization.

Law enforcement officials believe the weapon used to shoot at Trump was purchased by Crooks’ father, the Associated Press reports. Two officers, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Crooks’ father bought the weapon at least six months ago. US media reports indicate Crooks was wearing a T-shirt from Demolition Ranch, a YouTube channel known for its gun and demolition content.

The day after the shooting, law enforcement sources told CBS, the BBC’s US partner, that suspicious devices were found in Crooks’ vehicle. According to CBS, the suspect had a piece of commercially available equipment that appeared capable of initiating the devices. Bomb technicians were called to the scene to secure and investigate the devices.

What Was His Motivation?

Having established Crooks’ identity, police and agencies are investigating his motive. “We do not currently have an identified motive,” said Kevin Rojek, FBI Pittsburgh special agent in charge, at a briefing on Saturday night. The inquiry could last for months, and investigators are working “tirelessly” to determine Crooks’ motive, Mr. Rojek said. Speaking to CNN, Crooks’ father, Matthew Crooks, said he was trying to figure out “what the hell is going on” but would “wait until I talk to law enforcement” before speaking about his son. The Crooks family is cooperating with investigators, according to the FBI.

Police sealed off the road to the house where Crooks lived with his parents. A neighbor told CBS that officers evacuated her in the middle of the night without warning. Bethel Park Police said there was a bomb investigation surrounding Crooks’ home. Access to the area remains tightly controlled, with police vehicles blocking the roads. Only residents are allowed in or out. Law enforcement sources told CBS they believe some degree of planning went into the shooting, though how much time was spent planning remains under investigation. Police believe Crooks acted alone but are continuing to investigate whether he was accompanied to the rally.

What Kind of Person Was He?

So far, a confusing and at times conflicting picture has emerged of who Crooks was as a person. Speaking to local news outlet KDKA, some young locals who went to school with him described him as a loner who was frequently bullied and sometimes wore “hunting outfits to school.” Another former classmate, Summer Barkley, told the BBC he was “always getting good grades on tests” and was “very passionate about history.” She described him as well-liked by his teachers. Others simply remembered him as quiet. “He was there, but I can’t think of anyone who knew him well,” one former classmate told the BBC. “He seemed fine.”

Jameson Myers, a former member of the Bethel Park High School varsity rifle team who graduated alongside Crooks in 2022, told CBS that Crooks did not make the team. “He did not even make the junior varsity team after trying out,” Mr. Myers added. “He never returned to tryouts for the remainder of high school.” Someone else Crooks went to school with told ABC News he “shot terribly” and “wasn’t really fit for the rifle team.” The school district said there was no record of Crooks trying out for the team, and he “never appeared on a roster.” Mr. Myers remembers Crooks as seemingly a “normal boy” who was “not particularly popular but never got picked on or anything.” “He was a nice kid who never talked poorly of anyone and I never thought him capable of anything I’ve seen him do in the last few days.”

Other community members said they were shocked that the alleged perpetrator of the shooting could have come from the quiet, tree-lined streets of Bethel Park. Among them was Jason Mackey, a 27-year-old local man who lives near the Crooks residence and worked at his school while he was a student. While Mr. Mackey said he did not know Crooks personally, he is still reeling from a sense of disbelief. “It’s just shocking. You wouldn’t think an event of this magnitude would come right out of your backyard,” he said. “It’s just a crazy situation.”

Who Were the Victims in the Shooting?

One person was killed and two others were injured in the shooting. All three victims are adult men and were audience members, CBS News reports. At a news conference on Sunday, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro identified the deceased victim as Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old volunteer fire chief who was killed when he “dived on his family” to protect them. He said that Comperatore “died a hero.” A GoFundMe page, organized by the Trump campaign’s national finance director Meredith O’Rourke, was set up in the hours after the attack, with donations going to the families of the injured. It has so far raised more than $340,000 (£267,000).

In a post to his Truth Social platform, Trump said he was “shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear” and said he felt the bullet “ripping through the skin.” Blood was visible on Trump’s ear and face as protection officers rushed him away. Trump is “doing well” and is grateful to law enforcement officers, according to a statement published on the Republican National Committee (RNC) website.

How Far Was He from Donald Trump?

One witness told the BBC that he saw a man, believed to be Crooks, with a rifle on the roof of a building before Trump was shot. Video footage obtained by TMZ shows the moment the shooting began. The assailant opened fire with an “AR-style rifle,” CBS News reports. Law enforcement sources also told CBS that Crooks was reported by a bystander and identified as a suspicious person by police, but officers lost track of him before the shooting began. However, the FBI says it did not immediately know what type of firearm was used or how many shots were fired. A Secret Service sniper returned fire and killed the gunman, officials said. Footage later shows armed officers approaching a body on the roof of the building.