Trump shooting: Suspect Thomas Matthew Crooks was 'outcast,' loner who was bullied at school

From The AP:
The 20-year-old nursing-home employee from suburban Pittsburgh who tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump was a registered Republican who packed explosives in the vehicle he drove to the campaign rally an hour from his home.

Law enforcement officials were working Sunday to learn more about Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, to determine what motivated him to open fire on the rally from a nearby rooftop, killing one spectator, before he was shot dead by the Secret Service.

The FBI said Sunday it has not yet identified any underlying ideology or threatening writing or social media posts from Crooks, who graduated from high school two years ago and had no past criminal cases against him, according to public court records. The FBI said it believes Crooks acted alone.

Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, said on social media the upper part of his right ear was pierced in the shooting. Two spectators were critically injured, authorities said. The man killed was Corey Comperatore, 50, a former fire chief from the area who Pennsylvania's governor says died a “hero” by diving onto his family to protect them.

Relatives of Crooks didn’t immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press. His father, Matthew Crooks, told CNN late Saturday that he was trying to figure out “what the hell is going on” but wouldn’t speak about his son until after he talked to law enforcement. An FBI official told reporters that Crooks' family is cooperating with investigators.

Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022. In a video of the school’s graduation ceremony posted online, Crooks can be seen crossing the stage to receive his diploma, appearing slight of build and wearing glasses. The school district said it will cooperate fully with investigators. His senior year, Crooks was among several students given an award for math and science, according to a Tribune-Review story at the time.

Crooks tried out for the school's rifle team but was turned away because he was a bad shooter, said Frederick Mach, a current captain of the team who was a few years behind Crooks at the school.

Jason Kohler, who said he attended the same high school but did not share any classes with Crooks, said Crooks was bullied at school and sat alone at lunch time. Other students mocked him for the clothes he wore, which included hunting outfits, Kohler said.

“He was bullied almost every day,” Kohler told reporters. “He was just an outcast, and you know how kids are nowadays.”

Crooks worked at a nursing home as a dietary aide, a job that generally involves food preparation. Marcie Grimm, the administrator of Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, said in a statement she was “shocked and saddened to learn of his involvement.” Grimm added that Crooks had a clean background check when he was hired.

Crooks’ political leanings were not immediately clear. Records show Crooks was registered as a Republican voter in Pennsylvania, but federal campaign finance reports also show he gave $15 to a progressive political action committee on Jan. 20, 2021, the day President Joe Biden was sworn into office.

Butler County district attorney Richard Goldinger told AP on Sunday that Crooks had been previously unknown to investigators in his county and had not been on their radar. He said the investigation had so far not turned up any evidence that he had coordinated with anyone else in the region.

A blockade had been set up Sunday preventing traffic near Crooks’ house, which is in an enclave of modest brick houses in the hills outside blue-collar Pittsburgh and about an hour's drive from the site of the Trump rally. Police cars were stationed at an intersection near the house and officers were seen walking through the neighborhood.

Bomb-making materials were found inside Crooks' vehicle near the Trump rally and at his home, according to two officials who were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. A white Allegheny County Police truck identified as bomb squad pulled up to the home late Sunday morning.

Crooks used an AR-style rifle, which authorities said they believe was purchased by his father. Kevin Rojek, FBI special agent in charge in Pittsburgh, said that investigators do not yet know if he took the gun without his father's permission.

One local police officer climbed to the roof and encountered Crooks, who pointed his rifle at the officer. The officer retreated down the ladder, and Crooks quickly took a shot toward Trump, and that’s when Secret Service snipers shot him, said the officials, who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

[leeb.]

These reporters are desperate. The shooter is almost 21 (birthday in Sept). And they’re interviewing someone who admits he didn’t really know him and wasn’t in any classes with him when he was in high school 2-4 years ago? Totally lame.

[RokeChannel]

Both those kids are definitely his bullies

[MetalNCarnet]

For some kids who didn't even know him, they sure are quick to talk about him. All they know about him is that he was bullied a lot in school... were they the bullies?

[deadave]

You have to wonder, Are these kids part of bullying problem..??

[bereketdamtew]

He was never in the same class with the guy. And being a loner doesn't prove anything.

[jaimejane]

Do you find this person credible? Everything he said was generic and lacked any personalization. It could apply to ANY kid in school, everyone gets bullied at some point in school. He appears to be an attention seeker willing to feed answers that will please the reporter.

[trinsit]

You're interviewing the bully kids. 🤦

[melodylucas]

So, if he was bullied, what did these young men do to help him? Stop making excuses, a lot of us were bullied in school, we didn't try to assiant a President! That young man is smiling and laughing like it's funny.

[Waterflow]

The guy in a pink shirt is ordering foods 💀💀

[kurumbukurumbu]

In general, the portrayal of someone as an outcast or loner highlights the deeply ingrained mindset of judging others based on their behavior. If someone is introverted or timid, they often face constant bullying, exclusion, and are labeled as outcasts or loners. This mindset leads to ignoring or rejecting individuals. The issue transcends race, but bullying and groupism based on race and color are rampant in schools, creating a toxic environment. Popularity determines one's status, with the popular being treated as heroes and the unpopular as outcasts. It's unbelievable how pervasive this mentality is.

[patriciabullock]

They both look they are a little off and loners

[manofsan]

The kid was said to be bullied, and an outcast. Such kids can be susceptible to strangers who come along and express an interest in them.

[ChildOfThes]

So, did any of those kids ever come to his defense or try to befriend him at school???? Most kids who are bullied don't turn into killers but you never know. I was bullied in junior high and became suicidal, so it's not funny.

[paulmeckel]

Where did this person magically appear from

[desibella]

maybe do the interview without smiling like you won the lottery

[mypseudonym]

He's trying to remember his lines..."loner, sits alone at lunch, bullied" while trying not to laugh.

[dht]

Which agency was coaching him into this?

[ZDiddy]

Im from Bethel and still live in the neighboring Township, Upper St this is an area where people STILL have their Trump signs from '16 in their yards. Id bet, on the low end, theres over 75% Trump support something about this is odd

[tm-pjeb]

Both his parents are behaviora3 counselor? What a failure

[witchesarcana]

BS. Same narrative as always. But hey it has worked a bunch of times. Why change it. This person is shown on a video advertising for Balck Rock. My assumption. Not dead, in WPP now