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Thomas Matthew Crooks

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Thomas Matthew Crooks
Undated driver's license photo of Crooks
Born(2003-09-20)September 20, 2003
DiedJuly 13, 2024(2024-07-13) (aged 20)
Meridian, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Cause of deathGunshot wound
EducationCommunity College of Allegheny County (AS)
Known forAttempted assassination of Donald Trump
MotiveUnder investigation
Details
DateJuly 13, 2024
Location(s)Near Butler in Meridian, Pennsylvania
Killed1
Injured7 (3 from gunfire including Donald Trump, four officers injured by flying debris)[a]
WeaponAR-15–style rifle

Thomas Matthew Crooks (September 20, 2003 – July 13, 2024) was an American man who attempted to assassinate former U.S. president Donald Trump, who at the time was the presumptive Republican Party nominee for the 2024 presidential election.[2][3]

On July 13, 2024, at a rally near Butler, Pennsylvania, Crooks shot at Trump with an AR-15–style rifle from a nearby rooftop while Trump was giving a speech. Crooks wounded Trump's ear and killed one attendee while critically injuring two others before being killed by a Secret Service counter sniper team. His motive remains unknown. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case. Trump would go on to win the 2024 election less than four months later.

Evidence on his political views remains inconclusive. In January 2021, he donated $15 to a voter turnout group with a Democratic platform. When he reached the voting age of 18 in September 2021, he registered to vote in Pennsylvania as a member of the Republican Party and remained registered as a Republican until his death.

Early life and education

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Thomas Matthew Crooks was born on September 20, 2003,[2] and grew up in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, south of Pittsburgh.[4] Both of Crooks's parents are licensed professional counselors.[5] Recollections about him, including information about his life and personality, vary considerably.[6]

He attended Bethel Park High School.[7] He attempted to join the school's rifle club, participating in "preseason", but was such a bad shot he was considered "dangerous", being rejected from the team and asked not to come back.[8][9] He joined the National Technical Honor Society in 2021 while a junior in high school.[10] In 2022, he graduated with high honors and won a $500 "star award" from the National Math and Science Initiative.[11][12][13]

Classmates and school officials characterized him as being quiet; classmates said that he was often bullied for various reasons[2][3][12] including his quiet demeanor, body odor, as well as for wearing camouflage hunting outfits and surgical masks to school.[2][14][15]

He earned an associate degree in engineering science from the Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh, graduating two months before the shooting. He was employed as a dietary aide in a nursing home at the time of the shooting.[16][17][18][19] According to the nursing home, which is less than a mile away from where he lived, he had passed a background check and "performed his job without concern".[20] He had been accepted into both the University of Pittsburgh and Robert Morris University in Moon Township, Pennsylvania northwest of Pittsburgh and planned to attend the latter.[20][21]

He had a membership at a local shooting club for at least a year.[18]

Attempted assassination of Donald Trump

Main article: Attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Pennsylvania

Prior to the shooting, Crooks searched for images and public appearances of Trump, President Joe Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, and Catherine, Princess of Wales,[22][23][24] as well as for information regarding the Republican National Convention[25] and the Democratic National Convention.[26] He also searched the Internet for information on major depressive disorder and the Oxford High School shooting, with authorities finding an arrest photograph of Oxford shooter Ethan Crumbley on his phone.[26][27][28]

On July 6, the same day he registered for the rally, Crooks searched "how far was Oswald from Kennedy" in reference to former president John F. Kennedy and the gunman who assassinated him.[29] Crooks also searched for information on power plants and the attempted assassination of Slovakian prime minister Robert Fico. He used a number of aliases and encrypted communication accounts to buy firearm supplies and bomb-making material.[30] On July 12, 2024, Crooks went to a shooting range where he was a member to practice firing.[31]

He purchased over 50 rounds of ammunition and a ladder before going to the rally on July 13.[32] He requested the day off from work because he had "something to do", telling his co-workers that he would return the next day.[33] Hours before the shooting, Crooks's parents had called the police to report him as missing and expressed concern about his wellbeing.[34] On July 13, Crooks went to the Trump rally.[35] He climbed onto a building that was being used by police as a staging area.[36] Text messages from a police sniper indicate that the police were aware of him already 90 minutes before the shooting.[37][38] Using an AR-15–style rifle which his father had bought legally in 2013 and that was legally transferred to him in 2023,[30][39] Thomas shot Trump and injured his upper right ear[40] and also shot three adult male audience members;[41] one of them, 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, was killed.[42] Crooks was then killed by a member of the Secret Service Counter Sniper Team.[43][44] Bomb-making materials were found inside his vehicle and at his home, and a remote detonator was found on his body.[45] The FBI identified him as the shooter on July 14.[35]

As of August 2024, an investigation by the FBI was described to have at that time been underway. Crooks's motivation remains unknown.[46]

FBI evidence from the assassination attempt
  • Improvised explosive devices in the car trunk of Crooks found by the FBI
    Improvised explosive devices in the car trunk of Crooks found by the FBI
  • The rifle and backpack used by Crooks at the assassination attempt
    The rifle and backpack used by Crooks at the assassination attempt
  • The rifle used by Crooks at the assassination attempt
    The rifle used by Crooks at the assassination attempt

Political activities

Authorities have said that Crooks's political views are unknown, and they have not determined whether his assassination attempt was politically motivated.[6] Public records do not indicate his views.[47]

On January 20, 2021 when he was 17, he donated $15 to the Progressive Turnout Project, a liberal voter turnout group, through the Democratic Party donation platform ActBlue.[13][48][18][49] His donation was made on the same day that President Biden was sworn into office.[12] According to the Progressive Turnout Project, he made the donation in response to an email about "tuning into" the inauguration. He unsubscribed from the group's mailing list in 2022.[50][47]

Crooks had been registered to vote since September 2021, when he turned 18.[2] He registered as a Republican,[2][3][48][51] and he voted only once (in the 2022 midterm elections).[47]

After the shooting, the FBI uncovered a social media account "believed to be associated with the shooter" with about 700 comments from 2019 to 2020. A public statement from FBI deputy director Paul Abbate described Crooks's activity on social networking services as including comments that "appear to reflect antisemitic and anti-immigration themes" and "espouse political violence".[52]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ A claimed fourth injury from gunfire—U.S. representative Ronny Jackson's nephew—has not been confirmed by independent sources; the sole source is Jackson himself.[1]

References

  1. ^ Burns, Dasha; Gregorian, Dareh (July 17, 2024). "Rep. Ronny Jackson examined Trump after the shooting and remains by his side at the RNC". NBC News. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Jacoby, Kenny; Cann, Christopher; Le Coz, Emily; Bhat, Suhail (July 14, 2024). "Trump rally shooter Thomas Crooks identified: What we know". USA Today. ISSN 0734-7456. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Reilly, Ryan J.; O'Donnell, Kelly; Winter, Tom; Dienst, Jonathan (July 14, 2024). "Trump rally shooter identified as 20-year-old Pennsylvania man". NBC News. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  4. ^ Vargas, Ramon Antonio (July 14, 2024). "FBI names suspect, 20, as 'subject involved' in Trump rally shooting". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on July 15, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  5. ^ de Guzman, Chad (July 15, 2024). "What We Know—and Don't Know—So Far About the Trump Rally Gunman". Time. Archived from the original on July 15, 2024. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Vargas, Ramon Antonio (July 15, 2024). "Former classmate describes Trump rally gunman as 'definitely conservative'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 16, 2024. Recollections about Crooks' political views and high school experience vary considerably.
  7. ^ Santucci, Jeanine (July 20, 2024). "1 week after Trump assassination attempt: Updates on his wound, the shooter". USA Today. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  8. ^ Cole, Myke (July 17, 2024). "Was Thomas Crooks a Good Shot? He Didn't Need to Be". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  9. ^ "Trump shooter bought 50 rounds of ammunition on the day". The Telegraph. July 15, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  10. ^ Cochrane, Emily; Eder, Steve; Rashbaum, William K.; Harris, Amy Julia; Healy, Jack; Thrush, Glenn (July 19, 2024). "From Honor Student to the Gunman Who Tried to Kill Donald Trump". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 20, 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  11. ^ "Awards and Recognition Program honors Bethel Park graduates". Tribune-Review. June 22, 2022. Archived from the original on June 22, 2022. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c Deto, Ryan (July 14, 2024). "Who is Thomas Crooks, the alleged gunman in the Trump shooting?". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Josefczyk, Aaron; Ward, Jasper; Singh, Kanishka (July 14, 2024). "Here's what we know about Thomas Matthew Crooks, the suspected Trump rally shooter". Reuters. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  14. ^ Seldin, Jeff (July 14, 2024). "New information emerges on Trump shooting suspect". Voice of America. Archived from the original on July 15, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  15. ^ "'Easy Target': New Video Shows Trump Shooting Suspect Thomas Matthew Crooks Getting Bullied in School". News18. July 17, 2024. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  16. ^ Robertson, Campbell; Healy, Jack; Bogel-Burroughs, Nicholas; Thrush, Glenn (July 14, 2024). "Here's What Is Known About the Suspect Who Tried to Assassinate Trump". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  17. ^ Mejia, Brittny; Hernandez, Angie Orellana; Esquivel, Paloma (July 14, 2024). "20-year-old who almost killed Trump was a bright student, had a job and belonged to a gun club". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 16, 2024. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  18. ^ a b c McArthur, Tom (July 14, 2024). "Thomas Matthew Crooks: What we know about Donald Trump shooting suspect". BBC News. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  19. ^ "Suspected Trump shooter graduated from community college with 'high honors'". ABC News. Archived from the original on July 16, 2024. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  20. ^ a b Thomas, Pierre; Rubin, Olivia; Charalambous, Peter; Barr, Luke; Date, Jack (July 16, 2024). "'Loner' and 'nice': Complex portrait of gunman in Trump assassination attempt emerges". ABC News. Archived from the original on July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  21. ^ Flaherty, Anne (July 16, 2024). "Gunman planned to attend local 4-year university this fall". ABC News. Archived from the original on July 16, 2024. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  22. ^ Fahrenthold, David A.; Thrush, Glenn; Robertson, Campbell; Goldman, Adam; Toler, Aric (July 18, 2024). "A Blind Spot and a Lost Trail: How the Gunman Got So Close to Trump". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  23. ^ Vanderhoof, Erin (July 18, 2024). "The Trump Shooter Searched a British Royal Prior to Assassination Attempt, Investigators Say". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  24. ^ Diaz, Jaclyn; Mistich, Dave; Lawrence, Quil (July 19, 2024). "What we know about the Trump shooter". NPR. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  25. ^ https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/fbi-says-gunman-spent-months-seeking-a-target-then-settled-on-trump/ar-AA1pBmKM?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=2b783cf009d8429385ae005819d2ae36&ei=87 Retrieved 29 August 2024
  26. ^ a b Thrush, Glenn; Healy, Jack; Broadwater, Luke (July 17, 2024). "Gunman's Phone Had Details About Both Trump and Biden, F.B.I. Officials Say". The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  27. ^ Cohen, Zachary; Perez, Evan; Lybrand, Holmes (July 19, 2024). "Trump rally shooter researched Michigan mass shooter Ethan Crumbley and his family prior to attack". CNN. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  28. ^ Herb, Jeremy; Miller, John; Perez, Evan; Fox, Lauren; Grayer, Annie; Devine, Curt; Treene, Alayna; Rimmer, Morgan (July 18, 2024). "19 lost minutes: Law enforcement failed to keep sight of Trump shooter, whose motive is still unclear to investigators". CNN. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  29. ^ "Trump rally gunman looked online for information about Kennedy assassination, FBI director says". AP News. July 24, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  30. ^ a b Barrett, Devlin; Stein, Perry (July 29, 2024). "Trump rally shooter sought info on attempted killing of foreign leader". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  31. ^ Miller, John; Tolan, Casey; Perez, Evan (July 15, 2024). "A shooting range, a gun store, and a ladder purchase: Tracking the Trump rally gunman's movements leading up to his attack". CNN. Archived from the original on July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  32. ^ Thomas, Pierre; Katersky, Aaron; Shalvey, Kevin; Barr, Luke (July 16, 2024). "New details emerge in Trump assassination attempt investigation". ABC News. Archived from the original on July 16, 2024. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  33. ^ "Trump shooter requested Saturday off from work and told colleagues he'd be back at work Sunday, officials say". CTV News. July 17, 2024. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  34. ^ Rosenberg, Rebecca; Gibson, Jake; Spunt, David (July 17, 2024). "Trump shooter's parents called police hours before assassination attempt". FOX News. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  35. ^ a b Schrader, Adam; Coote, Darryl (July 14, 2024). "Thomas Matthew Crooks identified as Trump shooter". United Press International. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  36. ^ New video shows Trump shooter climbing onto the roof at rally. ABC News. July 15, 2024. Archived from the original on July 16, 2024. Retrieved July 16, 2024 – via YouTube.
  37. ^ Katersky, Aaron; Pezenik, Sasha; Sarnoff, Leah (July 28, 2024). "Local SWAT snipers saw Trump rally gunman nearly 2 hours before assassination attempt, text messages show". ABC News. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  38. ^ Bacon, John. "Trump gunman spotted 90 minutes before shooting, texts show; SWAT team speaks". USA TODAY. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  39. ^ Yasmin, Shahana; Rohrlich, Justin (July 14, 2024). "What we know about gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks who shot at Trump at his Pennsylvania rally". The Independent. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  40. ^ Baker, Graeme (July 14, 2024). "Biden condemns 'sick' attempt on Trump's life". BBC News. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  41. ^ Powell, Tori B.; Shelton, Shania; Meyer, Matt; D'Antonio, Isabelle; Tucker, Emma; Yeung, Jessie; Faheid, Dalia; Orie, Amarachi; Shen, Michelle; Williams, Michael; Chowdhury, Maureen (July 13, 2024). "Live updates: Trump survives assassination attempt". CNN. Archived from the original on July 13, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  42. ^ "Update from Michael Gold". The New York Times. July 13, 2024. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 13, 2024. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  43. ^ Tanyos, Faris (July 14, 2024). "Trump rally shooter killed by Secret Service sniper, officials say". CBS News. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  44. ^ Cheatle, Kimberly (July 15, 2024). "Statement From U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle" (Press release). United States Secret Service. Archived from the original on July 15, 2024. Retrieved July 15, 2024. Secret Service personnel on the ground moved quickly during the incident, with our counter sniper team neutralizing the shooter and our agents implementing protective measures to ensure the safety of former president Donald Trump.
  45. ^ Copp, Tara (July 14, 2024). "Military has no records of shooter in apparent Trump assassination attempt serving". The Associated Press. Archived from the original on July 13, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  46. ^ Morris-Grant, Brianna; Burgess, Annika (July 15, 2024). "Trump rally shooter's motives remain unknown as investigators find explosive materials in car". ABC News. Archived from the original on July 15, 2024. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  47. ^ a b c Tolan, Casey; Freeman, Danny; de Puy Kamp, Majlie; Devine, Curt; Chapman, Isabelle (July 14, 2024). "What we know about the Trump rally gunman so far". CNN. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved July 15, 2024. So far, investigators haven't found any evidence on social media or other writings by Crooks that might help identify his motive for the attempted assassination, law enforcement officials say... And a review of public records suggests he may have had divergent political leanings, with Crooks registering to vote as a Republican but making a small donation to a Democratic-leaning group.
  48. ^ a b Healy, Jack; Baker, Mike; Bogel-Burroughs, Nicholas; Benner, Katie (July 14, 2024). "Here's What Is Known About the Suspected Gunman". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  49. ^ Josefczyk, Aaron; Ward, Jasper; Singh, Kanishka (July 14, 2024). "Trump's shooter was a registered Republican, had donated to a Democratic PAC". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  50. ^ Ingram, Julia (July 18, 2024). "Did the Trump gunman make a donation to Democrats? Here's what the records show. - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  51. ^ Goudsward, Andrew; Ward, Jasper (July 14, 2024). "FBI Identifies Thomas Matthew Crooks as 'Subject Involved' in Trump Rally Shooting". US News & World Report. Reuters. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  52. ^ Quinn, Melissa; Hubbard, Kaia (July 30, 2024). "Senators grill new Secret Service chief at Trump assassination attempt hearing". CBS News. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
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