Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, was described by his former classmates as a loner who endured relentless bullying. They noted that Crooks often wore hunting outfits and had an interest in video games.
Crooks, 20, was fatally shot by Secret Service snipers after he opened fire on the former president. He graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022. Jason Kohler, a former classmate, told KDKA that Crooks was subjected to constant bullying. Kohler mentioned that Crooks frequently wore hunting attire to school.
In 2021, Crooks reportedly donated $15 to the liberal ActBlue political action committee on Joe Biden’s Inauguration Day. The following September, upon turning 18, he registered with the Republican Party, according to online state records.
“He didn’t seem particularly odd or anything. I would have guessed he was a Republican,” a former classmate of Crooks told the New York Post following the shooting.
Sarah D’Angelo, another Bethel Park High graduate, told The Wall Street Journal that Crooks had “a few friends” but did not belong to a defined social circle. She recalled that he often played video games on his laptop during homeroom period.
Although Crooks did not appear in the 2022 Bethel Park High School yearbook, there is a video showing him receiving his diploma on stage that spring. He was also awarded a $500 National Math and Science Initiative Star Award during his senior year, as reported by TribLive.
During the incident on Saturday, Crooks climbed onto the roof of a manufacturing plant approximately 130 yards from the Butler rally site before opening fire. The AK-style rifle he used had been purchased by his father. While Trump sustained injuries, former volunteer fire chief Corey Comperatore tragically lost his life in the attack.
Crooks’ car was found parked near the rally grounds, where investigators discovered explosives inside. A motive for the attack has yet to be determined.
