What Do We Know About Thomas Matthew Crooks, the Assailant in the Failed Attempt on Trump's Life?

The assailant in the failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump, the former president and Republican candidate in the upcoming U.S. elections, has been identified as a 20-year-old from Pennsylvania. The FBI has named this young man as "Thomas Matthew Crooks," who was shot dead by Secret Service agents immediately after the assassination attempt. Judicial and security officials have stated that Crooks had no identification on him and was identified through FBI facial recognition technology and DNA matching. Visual report: Images from the assassination attempt on Trump at a campaign rally in Butler. Donald Trump, the former president and Republican presidential candidate, was injured in an assassination attempt at a campaign rally on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania. But what do we know about Thomas Crooks? State voter records in Pennsylvania show that he was registered as a Republican for this year's voting. However, he had donated $15 to ActBlue, a political action committee that raises money for Democratic politicians, in 2021. Thomas Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School, a suburb of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, in 2022 and received a $500 "Star Award" from the National Math and Science Initiative. The 20-year-old Crooks was working as a kitchen worker at the time of the assassination attempt but had been a member of a shooting club for at least a year. According to detectives, Crooks fired at Trump with a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle; the incident resulted in one attendee being killed and two others injured. Crooks was positioned 130 meters from Trump's speaking venue. Police believe that the weapon used in the attack belonged to Thomas Matthew Crooks' father, and two unnamed sources told the Associated Press that Crooks' father purchased the weapon six months ago. The Crooks family has stated that they are cooperating with federal authorities in this case. As reported by American media, Crooks was wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the logo of a YouTube channel that has millions of subscribers and showcases videos about various weapons and explosives. A day after the Butler event, federal police officials told CBS News that some suspicious devices were also discovered in Crooks' vehicle. CBS reported that Crooks had a device with him that was easily accessible and could have assisted him in activating a bomb. Consequently, bomb disposal experts were immediately present at the attack site. Investigations into Crooks' motivation for the assassination attempt are ongoing, and a special agent investigating the case told CNN that the motive for this attack is still unclear. Although federal officials say that Crooks had no accomplices in this attack. Background and Character of Thomas Crooks. Thomas Matthew Crooks was set to vote for the first time in his life in the upcoming presidential election this November; he had turned 20 and could have participated in determining the political fate of his country, especially in a swing state like Pennsylvania where voter turnout is crucial. Crooks had shown signs of political interest since his teenage years and registered to vote in the election just a week after turning 18. However, on Saturday, he wore a t-shirt and pants that matched the gray roof of the building he targeted, traveled the 70 kilometers from his home to the venue in an hour by car, jumped onto the roof of the building, and awaited the speech of the former president of the United States. His t-shirt featured a promotion for the "Demolition Ranch" channel, which advocates for gun rights and showcases explosives. In the early moments of Trump's speech, he opened fire multiple times, one of which grazed Trump's right ear but killed a 50-year-old man and injured two other attendees. Thomas Matthew Crooks himself did not survive long, as he was shot dead by an FBI sniper who had identified the assailant from atop a structure behind Donald Trump. Law enforcement officials say that FBI investigators have not obtained any evidence or writings from the assailant on social media that could help understand his motivation for the assassination attempt. Crooks was not on the radar of American agencies, including the FBI. The lack of a clear ideological motive has raised questions about his actions. However, according to CBS, law enforcement believes there was "some degree of premeditation" on the part of the assailant before the shooting. The timing and extent of this planning, and whether Crooks may have had accomplices, are matters of ongoing concern for investigators. Classmates and Neighbors of the Assailant. CNN's interviews with half of Thomas Matthew Crooks' classmates and neighbors depict him as a quiet young man. Classmates remembered him as a good but somewhat incompatible student. Jason Kohler, 21, who attended the same high school, recalled that Matthew was "bullied every day" by other students and generally seemed like a lonely boy, akin to an outcast. He emphasized that other students bullied Matthew permanently and excessively. According to Kohler, Matthew did not exhibit the same demeanor as other students while walking through the school hallways. "You could guess that he was always pursuing a goal in his mind." Sarah Dangelo described Crooks as a calm child, devoid of signs of violence. Another classmate remembered Crooks as very intelligent, shy, with relatively conservative friends, some of whom wore Donald Trump campaign hats. Due to mandatory remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, which coincided with Matthew's first and second years of high school, many classmates do not recall those two years. Overall, his peers were "shocked" to hear that Crooks was identified as the assailant against Donald Trump, recognizing it as a much bolder act than the demeanor and temperament they had observed from him. How Crooks Appeared in Society. A short video posted by the school's Facebook account in 2022 showed Crooks participating in a computer programming course and explaining coding concepts to another student. His demeanor indicated a readiness to help. He also appeared in an advertisement for an investment company filmed at his high school. Matthew received a $500 award for mathematics and sciences at graduation. Crooks had a Discord account but rarely used it and did not post any political opinions. The director of a rehabilitation center located near the Crooks family home told CNN that he had no criminal record and that it was shocking and sad that such a person committed this attack. Crooks did not enroll in college and worked in the kitchen of a senior center near his family home after finishing high school. His employment record shows no history of offenses or delinquency. One of his colleagues at the senior center described him as a sweet young man ready to help, someone who never expressed political opinions, was "not radical," and gently tended to the bandages of elderly women. The Assailant's Family. Crooks' father, in the only contact made by CNN within the first hour after his son was identified as the assailant, said he is trying to understand why his son did this. The father stated he would wait to speak with law enforcement officials. Mr. Crooks' phone no longer responds to media calls; it is turned off. However, the FBI insists that the Crooks family is cooperating with law enforcement agencies. Both of Crooks' parents are social workers. State voter records show that his father is registered as a libertarian and his mother as a Democrat. Thomas Matthew Crooks registered as a Republican, although on the day of Joe Biden's inauguration at the White House three years ago, when he was only 17, he donated $15 to one of the political action committees aligned with the Democrats. The Crooks family's home and the neighbors' knowledge of the assailant and his parents. The Crooks family home in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, is located in a predominantly white and relatively affluent neighborhood. This neighborhood is described as "extremely safe," with residents considered "very close" to each other, while politically having diverse positions. Joe Biden garnered 52% of the votes in this area, and passing through the neighborhood shows that some residents have put up flags supporting Donald Trump, while other families have displayed flags and signs supporting Joe Biden's campaign. One neighbor stated that the Crooks family never displayed a flag for or against any politician. Neighbors occasionally saw the father of the family mowing the lawn and tending to the outdoor plants. Another neighbor expressed concern about the current situation and the potential consequences and increase in political violence stemming from the severe political polarization that American society is experiencing. What Evidence Investigators Have Accessed. FBI agents went to the Crooks family's home on a quiet street in Bethel Park after the assassination attempt by Thomas Matthew Crooks on Donald Trump. Shortly thereafter, they reported finding explosive materials in his home and vehicle. The explosive devices identified as "potential" have been obtained and sent for testing to official agencies, but the FBI has described these materials as "elementary." The semi-automatic AR-15 rifle used in the attack was legally purchased by Crooks' father. The purchase date indicates it was bought about six months ago. The FBI emphasizes that there is no evidence suggesting Crooks' affiliation with a larger group. Dozens of FBI agents, along with officials from Pennsylvania's attorney general's office, have seized some of Crooks' belongings and devices, including examining his records related to gun purchases and alcohol consumption. However, the FBI is investigating this incident as a "potential domestic terrorism attack." Joe Biden has also ordered an independent security review regarding this assassination attempt. The U.S. intelligence community has been questioned about how it operated, allowing Crooks to easily reach such close proximity to Donald Trump's speaking venue and open fire, especially since some attendees had reported his presence on the roof of the building to the police just moments earlier.