A former schoolmate said Crooks was ridiculed for the way he dressed (File)
Butler, United States:
A 20-year-old Pennsylvania man, Thomas Matthew Crooks, has been identified as the suspected shooter who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally this weekend.
Secret Service snipers killed Crooks on Saturday after he fired several shots at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, from a nearby rooftop.
As authorities seek to understand his motivations, here’s what we know about the alleged shooter:
‘Still’
Crooks’ former schoolmates described him as a “quiet” student who often seemed “lonely,” ABC News reported.
But although he seemed “socially reserved,” a former high school classmate didn’t recall hearing him discuss politics or Trump, according to ABC.
Trump, 78, was hit in the ear during the rally. One spectator was killed and two spectators were seriously injured in the worst act of political violence in the US in decades.
Jason Kohler, who said he attended the same school as Crooks, said the alleged shooter was frequently bullied.
“He was quiet, but he was just bullied. He was bullied a lot,” Kohler told reporters.
He said Crooks was ridiculed for the way he dressed, noting that he sometimes wore hunting clothes.
No military ties
After the shooting, investigators found a “suspicious device” in Crooks’ car, which was inspected by bomb technicians and is being analyzed.
They noted that explosive devices were collected as evidence.
Authorities are now in the process of searching Crooks’ phone.
Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, told reporters Sunday that the weapon used in the shooting was a legally acquired AR-style semiautomatic rifle.
Investigators believe the gun used was purchased by Crooks’ father, but it is unclear how he accessed the gun.
Rojek added that so far there are no indications of mental health problems.
The bandits also had no military affiliations, according to Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.
The FBI told reporters it is investigating the incident as an assassination attempt as well as a potential act of domestic terrorism.
Acted alone
The shooter is believed to be working alone, according to the FBI, and authorities said they have not identified an ideology associated with him.
His political leanings were not immediately clear.
News reports indicated that he was a registered Republican, but also noted that he had previously given money to a Democratic-aligned progressive political action committee.
Although social media platform Discord said it identified an account that appeared linked to the suspect, it was “rarely used.”
A spokesperson added that “we found no evidence that he was used to plan this incident, promote violence or discuss his political views.”
The suspect’s father, Matthew Crooks, previously told CNN he was trying to establish “what the hell is going on” before speaking about his son.
(Except the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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