THE perpetrator of the shooting of Donald Trump is believed to have been identified. The 20-year-old man was named as Thomas Matthew Crooks. He was shot dead by the US Secret Service following an assassination attempt. The motive behind it remains a mystery.
Investigators believe Crooks, armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, opened fire on the former president as he was addressing a crowd in Butler, Pennsylvania, leaving one audience member dead and two others wounded.
“The young man (kitchen worker) was shot and killed at the scene by a Secret Service sniper,” officials said.
But in his wealthy hometown, neighbors were shocked. They mightn’t seem to comprehend how a quiet young man might now be accused of the shooting.
The FBI has said only that Crooks was a subject of an alleged assassination attempt on the former president and that an active investigation is underway.
Who is Thomas Matthew Crooks?
Thomas Crooks did not carry identification, so investigators used DNA and facial recognition technology to identify him.
Also read: Thomas Matthew Crooks, Trump Shooter, Graduated from Bethel Park High School and Has a Career in the World of Politics
He is from Bethel Park in Pennsylvania, regarding 70 km or 43 miles from the site of the attempted murder, and graduated in 2022 from Bethel Park High School with a $500 honors in math and science, according to the local newspaper.
Crooks worked in the kitchen of a local nursing home not far from his home, the BBC reported. State voter records show he is a registered Republican, according to US media.
He also reportedly donated $15 to the liberal campaign group ActBlue in 2021. He has held a membership in a local shooting club, the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, for at least a year.
Read also: Witnesses See Trump Shooter Moving ‘Rooftop to Rooftop’ Before Attack
Law enforcement officials believe the gun used to shoot Donald Trump was purchased by Crooks’ father.
Two officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Crooks’ father had bought the gun at least six months ago. According to US media reports, Crooks was wearing a T-shirt from Demolition Ranch, a YouTube channel known for its gun and demolition content.
The day following the shooting, law enforcement sources also said that a suspicious device was found in Crooks’ vehicle. According to CBS, the suspect had commercially available equipment that appeared to be capable of powering the device.
Also read: Here are 6 Current Conditions After Trump’s Shooting in Pennsylvania
What is the motivation?
After learning Crooks’ identity, police and agencies are investigating his motive. “We don’t know the motive at this point,” Kevin Rojek, an FBI special agent in Pittsburgh, said at a briefing Saturday night.
The investigation into the incident might take months and investigators will work around the clock to identify Crooks’ motive, Rojek said.
Crooks’ father, Matthew Crooks, said he is trying to find out what happened but will wait until he speaks with law enforcement before speaking regarding his son. “The Crooks family is cooperating with investigators,” according to the FBI.
Law enforcement sources said they believe there was planning before the shooting. However, how much time was spent in that planning remains a subject of investigation.
Police believe he acted alone, but are investigating whether he was accompanied to the rally. So far, a confusing picture has emerged of who Crooks really was.
Speaking to local news outlet KDKA, several local youths who attended school with him described him as a loner, who was often bullied and sometimes wore hunting clothes to school.
Another former classmate, Summer Barkley, gave a different assessment, telling the BBC that he always got good grades in exams and was passionate regarding history.
“He seemed to know everything regarding government and history,” he said.
“But it’s nothing extraordinary, he’s always been good,” he said.
He described himself as being well-liked by his teachers. Others only remember him as a quiet person.
(BBC/Z-9)
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