New details have emerged in connection with the Pennsylvania man accused of shooting at former President Donald Trump and killing one person during a political rally Saturday in Pennsylvania.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was identified as the shooter by the FBI. A Secret Service agent killed Crooks shortly after he grazed Trump’s ear while firing two shots at him.
No motive has been revealed at this time, and the FBI believes that he acted alone.
“While the investigation to date indicates the shooter acted alone,” the FBI said Sunday, “the FBI continues to conduct logical investigative activity to determine if there were any co-conspirators associated with this attack. At this time, there are no current public safety concerns.”
Law enforcement officials said that Crooks used a semi-automatic rifle, according to NBC News. They said the shooter perched atop a building rooftop outside and near the rally, and began firing shots.
According to AP News, Brooks was from Bethel Park, about 43 miles from the site where he attempted to assassinate Trump. He graduated in 2022 from Bethel Park High School.
Crooks reportedly worked in a nursing home kitchen near his home, BBC reports State voter records show he was a registered Republican. He was also a member of the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, a local shooting club, for at least a year.
CBS News reports that Crooks attempted to join his high school’s junior varsity rifle team as a freshman, but classmate Jameson Myers noted that he didn’t make the team and never tried again.
Jameson Murphy, another classmate, told the New York Post that Crooks “was such a comically bad shot he was unable to make the team and left after the first day.”
Investigators believe the weapon used to shoot at Trump was purchased by Crooks’ father, according to AP. Speaking anonymously, two officers said Crooks’ father bought a weapon at least six months ago. Police also said Crooks purchased a box of ammunition containing 50 rounds on the day of the rally.
Crooks reportedly wore a T-shirt from Demolition Ranch, a YouTube channel known for its guns and demolitions.
The day after the shooting, law enforcement sources told CBS that suspicious devices were found in Crooks’ vehicle. Bomb technicians were subsequently called to the scene.
Meanwhile, Crooks’ family is said to be cooperating with police. His father Matthew Crooks, 53, told CNN he was trying to figure out “what the hell is going on,” and needed to “wait until I talk to law enforcement” before making further comment.
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi stated that Crooks fired “multiple shots” before agents “neutralized” him. Guglielmi added that one rally attendee was killed, and two others were critically injured.
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[Feature Photo: Thomas Crooks/2020 High School Yearbook Photo]
Additional reporting by Shanon Quaranta
