The Pittsburgh suburb of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, is grappling with shock following the FBI’s identification of Thomas Matthew Crooks as the individual who shot at Donald Trump during a campaign rally, causing nationwide alarm.
Investigators believe Crooks, armed with an AR-style rifle, fired at the former president while he addressed a crowd in Butler, Pennsylvania, resulting in the death of one audience member and critical injuries to two others.
The 20-year-old kitchen worker was promptly neutralized at the scene by a Secret Service sniper, according to officials.
In his quiet and affluent hometown, neighbors are struggling to comprehend how a seemingly quiet young man could be implicated in such a violent act.
The FBI has confirmed Crooks’ involvement in the assassination attempt on the former president and is actively investigating the incident. Due to the absence of identification, investigators used DNA to ascertain his identity.
Crooks hailed from Bethel Park, approximately 43 miles from the site of the attempted assassination, and graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022, where he was recognized for his achievements in mathematics and science.
He worked at a local nursing home kitchen near his residence, according to reports.
Public records indicate Crooks was a registered Republican, although he reportedly made a donation to the liberal campaign group ActBlue in 2021.
Reports indicate Crooks was wearing a T-shirt from Demolition Ranch, a popular YouTube channel known for its firearms and demolition content.
Law enforcement officials believe the weapon used in the shooting was purchased by Crooks’ father, as reported by the Associated Press.
Following the incident, law enforcement discovered suspicious devices in Crooks’ vehicle, prompting a bomb investigation at his residence, according to CBS.
“We do not currently have an identified motive,” said Kevin Rojek, FBI Pittsburgh special agent in charge, at a briefing on Saturday night.
Authorities continue to investigate Crooks’ motive, with no clear motive identified thus far, according to FBI Pittsburgh special agent in charge Kevin Rojek.
Crooks’ father, Matthew Crooks, expressed bewilderment and stated he would wait to speak with law enforcement before commenting further.
“what the hell is going on” but would “wait until I talk to law enforcement” before speaking about his son.
According to CBS News, police cordoned off the road leading to Crooks’s parental home.
A neighbor informed CBS that officers evacuated her in the middle of the night without prior notice.
Bethel Park Police have initiated a bomb investigation centered around Crooks’s residence, leading to strict control of the area with police vehicles blocking access. Only residents are permitted entry or exit.
According to sources from law enforcement speaking to CBS, there is a belief that some level of planning occurred prior to the shooting. The extent of this planning remains under active investigation.
Authorities maintain the belief that Crooks acted alone but are ongoing in their investigation into whether he had any companions at the rally.
Who was Thomas Matthew Crooks?
Thus far, a complex and occasionally contradictory portrayal of Crooks has emerged.
According to interviews with local news outlet KDKA, some former classmates described him as a loner who faced bullying and occasionally wore “hunting outfits” to school.
However, Summer Barkley, another former classmate, presented a contrasting view to the BBC, highlighting his academic excellence and deep passion for history, noting that he consistently performed well on tests.
“always getting good grades on tests” and was “very passionate about history”.
“Anything on government and history he seemed to know about,” he said. “But it was nothing out of the ordinary….he was always nice.”
Others simply remembered him as quiet.
“He was there but I can’t think of anyone who knew him well,” one former classmate, who asked to remain nameless, told the BBC. “He’s just not a guy I really think about. But 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 he did not make the team.
“He did not even make the junior varsity team after trying out,” Mr Myers added.
“He never returned to try-outs for the remainder of high school.”
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 have thought him capable of anything I’ve seen him do in the last few days.”
Other community members said simply that they were shocked that the alleged perpetrator of the shooting could have come from the quiet, green streets of Bethel Park.
Jason Mackey, a 27-year-old local resident who lives near the Crooks’ home and worked at his school, expressed disbelief despite not knowing Crooks personally.
“It’s shocking. You never expect something like this to happen so close to home,” Mackey said. “It’s just a surreal situation.”
As for casualties, one person was killed and two others were injured during the shooting at the campaign rally, according to CBS News. All three victims were adult men who were part of the audience.
At a press conference, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro identified the deceased as Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old volunteer fire chief who heroically shielded his family during the attack.
A GoFundMe page, initiated by the Trump campaign’s national finance director Meredith O’Rourke, has raised over $340,000 (£267,000) to support the injured victims’ families.
In a social media post on his Truth Social platform, Donald Trump described being hit by a bullet that grazed his right ear, causing him to feel the bullet “ripping through the skin.” Blood was visible on his ear and face as security personnel swiftly moved him to safety.
Trump’s statement on the Republican National Committee (RNC) website indicates that he is recovering well and appreciative of law enforcement’s swift response.
Regarding the shooting incident itself, eyewitnesses reported seeing a man, believed to be Crooks, on a nearby rooftop with a rifle before the shooting occurred.
Video footage obtained by TMZ captured the moment the shooting began, showing the assailant using an AR-style rifle.
How far was the suspected gunman from Donald Trump?
Law enforcement sources informed CBS that the gunman was initially flagged as suspicious by a bystander and police, though officers lost track of him before the shooting began.
The FBI, however, has not yet confirmed details about the type of firearm used or the number of shots fired.
Ultimately, a Secret Service sniper returned fire and neutralized the gunman, with subsequent footage showing law enforcement approaching the gunman’s body on the rooftop.