{"id":2295740,"date":"2024-07-16T02:36:02","date_gmt":"2024-07-16T06:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thomas-matthew-crooks-profiling-trumps-shooter-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-07-16T02:42:07","modified_gmt":"2024-07-16T06:42:07","slug":"thomas-matthew-crooks-profiling-trumps-shooter-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thomas-matthew-crooks-profiling-trumps-shooter-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Thomas Matthew Crooks: Profiling Trump&#8217;s Shooter- Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthomas-matthew-crooks-profiling-trumps-shooter-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2295740&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses Thomas Matthew \u200dCrooks, the FBI&#8217;s main suspect in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Crooks, \u2063a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was \u2062shot and killed by the Secret Service \u2064after firing at Trump during a rally. Described as nerdy and quiet, \u200dCrooks was often bullied in high school and kept to himself. He excelled academically and was fond of firearms, despite being asked to leave the school&#8217;s rifle team. Crooks was also remembered as a kind and smart individual by some of his classmates. The article also\u2064 delves into\u200d Crook&#8217;s background, upbringing, and behavior leading up to \u2063the attack. Amid ongoing\u2062 investigations, the FBI has not found any evidence of prior mental illness or a significant\u200b social media presence for Crooks.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\">\n<div class=\"tdb-search-form-inner\"><input class=\"tdb-head-search-form-input\" placeholder=\" \" type=\"text\" value name=\"s\" autocomplete=\"off\"><button class=\"wpb_button wpb_btn-inverse btn tdb-head-search-form-btn\" title=\"Search\" type=\"submit\"><span>Search<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Trump Rally Shooter Described as \u201clonely\u201d and \u201csweet\u201d by those who knew him<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> <a class=\"tdb-author-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/author\/pmchugh\/\">Peter McHugh<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2024-07-16T02:21:16-04:00\">July 16, 2024 2:21 am<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Thomas Matthew Crooks, the FBI\u2019s sole <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/crime\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">suspect<\/a> in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Trump\u2019s<\/a> attempted assassination, was 20 years old when he was seen climbing on to a roof and aiming his father\u2019s rifle at the former president. As investigators search for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3082631\/fbi-searches-trump-shooter-motive\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">motive<\/a>, those who knew him best attempt to reconcile with their shock.<\/p>\n<p>Crooks, who the Secret Service killed at the scene, hailed from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, just an hour and a half drive from Butler, where the shooting took place. A 2022 high school graduate, Crooks\u2019 bullets killed father and volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore, put two others in critical condition, and grazed the ear of Donald Trump.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will say he was definitely nerdy, for sure, but he never gave off that he was creepy,\u201d one of his classmates, Mark Sigafoos, told <em>CBS<\/em>. \u201cHe seemed like he wouldn\u2019t hurt a fly.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"tpd-featured-video featured-post-video in-content bridtv\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1703847\" class=\"brid\" style=\"width:1280;height:720;\"> <\/div>\n<div class=\"tpd-featured-video-placeholder\" style=\"position:relative;overflow:hidden;width:100%;padding-top:56.25%;background-color:#000;\">\n<div style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;width:100%;height:100%\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">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, Pa. Crooks was identified by the FBI as the shooter involved in an assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally on Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (Bethel Park School District via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Quiet and Ridiculed<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In High School, Thomas Crooks mostly kept to himself. Few of his classmates knew much about him, but remembered a quiet, intelligent boy who was constantly bullied.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was somebody who came across as lonely a lot,\u201d Jameson Myers told <em>ABC<\/em>. Myers had been in school with the shooter since elementary school. <\/p>\n<p>A lover of history, Crooks excelled in his academics, even <a href=\"https:\/\/triblive.com\/local\/awards-and-recognition-program-honors-bethel-park-graduates\/\">receiving<\/a> the National Math &#038; Science Initiative Star Awards his graduation year. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne thing I did know for sure was he was very smart,\u201d a student in his AP statistics class told the outlet, \u201cI always remember hearing his test grades when we would all compare and he always did very well in math and sciences.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would not say that he ever appeared as a threatening person,\u201d the student continued. For him, Crooks was \u201cnever anything but kind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Most days, Crooks arrived at school dressed in camouflage and hunting outfits. Many also recalled how Crooks decided to wear a COVID mask in the halls long after the school-wide mandate had been lifted. According to students, he was often singled out and ridiculed for his clothing, shuffling through the school day as a pariah.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe would sit alone at lunch,\u201d said Jason Kohler, a classmate, \u201cHe was just the outcast.\u201d According to him, Crooks was \u201cbullied so much in high school,\u201d and almost universally perceived as a \u201cloner.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/us-news\/thomas-matthew-crooks-trump-shooter-78b13a35\">interviews<\/a> conducted by the <em>Wall Street Journal<\/em>, two students painted conflicting portraits of Crooks: one as an apolitical pacifist, and the other as a looming, potential threat. <\/p>\n<p>The first description comes from Sarah D\u2019Angelo who explains how Crooks \u201cnever outwardly spoke out his political views or how much he hated Trump or anything.\u201d Similarly, in a quote from <em>CNN<\/em>, D\u2019Angelo described her classmate as \u201ca quiet kid\u201d who was \u201cnot obviously political or violent in any way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Juliana Grooms, on the other hand, remembered him quite differently. A year younger, Grooms told the <em>Journal <\/em>how his passivity struck her as a cause for concern. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf someone would say something to his face, he would just kind of stare at them,\u201d she said, \u201cpeople would say he was the student who would shoot up high school.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Fond of Firearms<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>During his freshman year of high school, Crooks attempted to join the varsity rifle team. After his first pre-season practice session, he was asked not to return. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe didn\u2019t just not make the team, he was asked not to come back because of how bad of a shot he was,\u201d said Myers, \u201cit was considered, like, dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite being shunned by the school\u2019s rifle team, Crooks became a member of a local shooting club, the \u201cClairton Sportsmen\u2019s Club.\u201d With a 200-yard rifle range as one of its amenities, the club confirmed his membership to multiple outlets, denouncing his attack. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cObviously, the Club fully admonishes the senseless act of violence that occurred yesterday,\u201d Robert S. Bootay III, the club\u2019s attorney, told <em>ABC<\/em>, \u201cthe club also offers its sincerity condolences to the Comperatore family and extends prayers to all of those injured including the former president.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During Saturday\u2019s attack, Crooks was reportedly wearing a gray t-shirt associated with the youtube channel \u201cdemolition ranch.\u201d The channel, known for its population of firearms with titles such as \u201cis the AK-50 any good?\u201d and \u201cI sawed off a .50 caliber sniper rifle,\u201d released a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=78yJLWmkJCk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>video<\/a> Monday, aimed at calling out senseless violence. <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u201cThe Sweetest Guy\u201d <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Just a couple months prior to the shooting, Crooks graduated from the Community College of Allegheny County with an associates degree in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/china-holds-unprecedented-meeting-as-zero-covid-crushes-economy\/\" title=\"China Holds Unprecedented Meeting as \u201cZero-COVID\u201d Crushes Economy\">engineering science<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Since then, he has been employed at the Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, working as a dietary aide. Crooks spent his shifts preparing and serving meals to the sick and elderly and, according to facilities manager, Marcie Grimes, he had passed a background check and \u201cperformed his job without concern.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One of Crook\u2019s colleagues at the nursing home was utterly shocked by the news, claiming him to be the \u201csweetest guy.\u201d He told CNN that, just last week, the two of them had assisted \u201csick old ladies\u201d in opening packets of salad dressing during a meal. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was a really, really good person that did a really bad thing,\u201d the colleague said, \u201cI just wish I knew why.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Life in Bethel Park<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, a homespun Pittsburgh suburb of about 30,000, proudly boasts its median household <a href=\"https:\/\/censusreporter.org\/profiles\/16000US4206064-bethel-park-pa\/\">income<\/a> of $102,177 and a per capita income just over 1.3 times higher than the rest of Pennsylvania. Dan Grzybek, a county county member, described the Crooks\u2019 little neighborhood to the <em>New York Times<\/em> as \u201cpretty firmly middle class, maybe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bill-maher-blasts-bidens-idea-of-free-college-im-not-fing-paying-for-that\/\" title=\"Bill Maher Blasts Biden\u2019s Idea Of Free College: \u2018I\u2019m Not F***ing Paying For That\u2019\">upper middle class<\/a>.\u201d For him, its streets and homes were nothing out of the ordinary, an \u201cincredibly safe\u201d and \u201cclose knit\u201d portrait of Rust Belt suburbia.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A home believed to be connected to the shooter in the assassination attempt of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, Monday, July 15, 2024, in Bethel Park, Pa. Investigators are hunting for any clues about what may have driven Thomas Matthew Crooks to try to assassinate Trump. (AP Photo\/Gene J. Puskar)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Both his father, a registered libertarian, and his mother, a registered democrat, are licensed, professional counselors. Crooks, a registered republican, was also reportedly a donor to the left-leaning Progressive Turnout Project, giving $15 dollars on Biden\u2019s inauguration day when he was just 17. <\/p>\n<p>The weapon used the in shooting was a AR-15 style, semi automatic rifle, legally purchased by Crooks\u2019 father. On the day of Trump\u2019s attempted assassination, Crooks purchased around 50 rounds of ammunition from a local gun store and, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/video\/series\/on-the-news\/who-was-thomas-matthew-crooks-trump-rally-shooter\/B58DBCEC-F916-4DA8-8E69-04DDC27E630A\">according<\/a> to the <em>Wall Street Journal<\/em>, Crook\u2019s father believed his son had simply gone to the gun range, only growing worried when he failed to respond to any messages.<\/p>\n<p>Situated less than 450 feet away from Trump\u2019s podium on the Butler Farm Show Grounds, Crooks was able to fire multiple shots into the crowd before being neutralized by counter snipers. In addition to the rifle, the FBI also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/livecoverage\/trump-rally-incident\/card\/suspected-shooter-had-explosive-devices-in-his-car-sources-say-nqpDI2AqQQNtSvYtEpS9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>found<\/a> three explosive devices, two in his car and one in his house, that have been described as \u201crudimentary.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Amid initial investigations, the FBI has stated Thomas Crooks had no previous instances of mental illness, and a very minimal social media presence with only an account on Discord that had not been active for months. In 2022, a video crew for Blackrock, the multinational investment company, filmed a commercial during an economics class at Bethel Park High. In one of Crooks\u2019 few video appearances, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/scores-snores-and-fumbles-the-best-and-worst-super-bowl-commercials\/\" title=\"Scores, Snores And Fumbles: The Best And Worst Super Bowl Commercials\">commercial shows<\/a> him the in front row wearing a dark hoodie, his head intently turned toward the whiteboard.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Search for a Motive<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Special Agent Kevin Rojeck, in charge of the FBI investigation, stated that the bureau does not \u201ccurrently have an identified motive, although [its] investigators are working tirelessly to attempt to identify what that motive was.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Looking at the shooting as an act of \u201cpotential domestic terrorism,\u201d the FBI has gotten ahold of Crooks\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3083813\/fbi-gains-access-to-trump-shooters-phone\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>phone<\/a> and is attempting to comb through its data in order to uncover a lead. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Rojek, in a statement, claimed that law enforcement does not currently believe Crooks had ties to any extremist groups, foreign or domestic, believing Crooks to have \u201cacted alone and that there are currently no public safety concerns.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1703847\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1703847\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<p><\/body><\/html><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The shooter at the Trump rally, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was described as &#8220;lonely&#8221; and &#8220;sweet&#8221; by those who knew him. He was a quiet and intelligent boy who was often bullied in high school. Despite excelling academically and being described as kind, he was often singled out and ridiculed for his clothing and perceived as a loner. Crooks was a lover of history and firearms, and despite being shunned by the school&#8217;s rifle team, he became a member of a local shooting club. He was also described as a &#8220;sweet guy&#8221; by his colleagues at the nursing home where he worked. The FBI is still searching for a motive for the attempted assassination and does not believe Crooks had ties to any extremist groups<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3195,"featured_media":2295741,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/crooks-grad-photo-1.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[8193,34981,35171],"class_list":["post-2295740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-profiling","tag-thomas-matthew-crooks","tag-trumps-shooter"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/crooks-grad-photo-1.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2295740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3195"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2295740"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2295740\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2295741"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2295740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2295740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2295740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}