Thomas Matthew Crooks was not a former CIA operative who could evade metal detectors with a handmade firearm. He wasn’t a professional murderer like those shown in those films, or like John Wick or Jason Bourne. Living with his parents, Crooks was a reclusive Gen-Zer with an associate’s degree who worked a low-paying job. However, in a world where everything is going digital and it’s easier than ever to be monitored online, the 20-year-old was able to remain remarkably anonymous while putting together an almost successful plan in just 10 days to kill a former US president.
With a population of 13,000, Butler, Pennsylvania, would not have been Donald Trump’s most likely place to stop while on the campaign. He had only been there once before his now-famous July 13 rally, which occurred on Halloween night in the days before the election in November 2020. He walked onto the stage that was built up near the Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport to cheers from thousands of red-hatted fans. The Butler Eagle and other media sources didn’t break the news until July 3 that Trump would be the first president—past or present—to do a second rally in the same city. It would have been impossible to foresee until then that the Republican presidential contender would be holding this event at the Butler Farm Show grounds, which is 54 miles away from the Crooks family’s residence. Or that 150 yards from Trump’s podium, the rooftop of an industrial building would be abandoned by local police and Secret Service officers.
An intelligent child who enjoyed shooting weapons but was not a very good one
Growing up in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, Crooks lived in a three-bedroom brick home with a wood deck and a covered porch. The median household income in this Pittsburgh-area suburb is $100,000, and the grassy yards are blended without any fences. Both his parents, a Democrat and a Libertarian, held licenses as counselors. Two classes older, his sister was a Libertarian as well. His political views are still unknown. On the day of President Joseph Biden’s inauguration in January 2021, he gave $15 to ActBlue, a political action organization that supports Democrats. That September, eight days after turning eighteen, Crooks registered as a Republican in Allegheny County. Thomas Crooks, the gunman at the Trump rally: neighbors, classmates, and employer speak.
Crooks donned ash-gray Mount Rushmore t-shirts for his sophomore yearbook photo, among other patriotic clothing he wore as a child. He likes shooting firearms. Eight miles from his house, on a plateau covered in woods, was the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, which he and his father belonged to. A dog training area, a clubhouse, competition ranges for rifle, pistol, and archery, and more local members may all be found inside this expansive 180-acre compound. Youth activities and safety classes are also offered.
What took place on July 13, a Saturday?
A few bystanders attempted to draw the attention of police just before they heard the pop, pop, pop of gunfire at the Butler rally: They reported there was a suspicious man on the roof. In a video that was shared on social media the next day, a man can be heard saying, “Someone’s on top of the roof,” while Trump speaks into a microphone in the background. A man cries, “Officer! Officer!” “He’s up on the roof,” a female says. On the upward-slanting roof, a man with long, light brown hair, dressed in a beige shirt and pants, is seen lying prone. He appears oblivious to the people pointing and shouting at him, as well as the policeman staring at him.
According to a Washington Post investigation, Crooks started firing over a minute and a half after the shouts. He fired at least five shots, three of which struck rally attendees who were seated in the line of fire, and one of which whizzed past Trump’s head, nicking his ear, he claimed. There was one individual slain.
As the inquiry progresses, the motive is still unclear
Many news sources stated that law enforcement officers are still perplexed by Crooks’ motivation at this point. CNN claimed that despite having access to his phone, they had yet to discover any indication of a political or ideological motive, and his search history did not indicate that he had looked into making homemade explosives. Hughes stated that Crooks is similar to a regular mass shooter in certain aspects: Specifically, he was a young man who seemed to be a loner. But Crooks appears to defy convention in other respects.
Usually, those who pose a threat to public leaders are twice as old as Crooks. Crooks has no recorded criminal history, in contrast to almost two-thirds. Individuals with an ideological inclination tend toward right-wing, racially motivated, and frequently sexist or religious violent extremism among those detained on federal charges for posing a threat to public officials.