Thomas Matthew Crooks

Thomas Matthew Crooks (September 20, 2003 – July 13, 2024) was an American man who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump, the former president of the United States and, at that time, the presumptive Republican Party nominee for the 2024 presidential election.

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. He hit Trump's ear and killed one attendee while critically injuring two others before being killed by the Secret Service Counter Sniper Team.

His motive remains unknown. In January 2021, he donated $15 to a voter turnout group using a Democratic platform. Since September 2021, he was a registered Republican voter in Pennsylvania. An investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is ongoing.

Early life and education

Thomas Matthew Crooks was born on September 20, 2003, and was raised in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The neighborhood he lived in was described by a local politician as "middle-class, maybe upper-middle class". Both of his parents worked as licensed professional counselors. Recollections about Crooks, including information about his life and personality, vary considerably.

He attended Bethel Park High School, where he excelled in academics. He joined the National Technical Honor Society in 2021 while a junior in high school. In 2022, he graduated with high honors and won a $500 "star award" from the National Math and Science Initiative.

Classmates and school officials characterized him as quiet, with classmates saying he was often bullied for various reasons, including his quiet demeanor, body odor, and for wearing camouflage hunting outfits and surgical masks to school. According to the school district, detailed records of disciplinary incidents including bullying and threats do not contain any with Crooks playing a part. The school district concludes "The assailant was known as a quiet, bright young man who generally got along with his teachers and classmates."

Crooks enjoyed playing chess and video games and was learning how to program computers. He attended a computer technology program at the Steel Center for Career and Technical Education. Some students and graduates from Bethel Park High School alleged that Crooks tried out for his school's rifle team, but he failed the tryout because of his poor aim. The Bethel Park School District said there is no record of Crooks trying out for the team.

Crooks earned an associate degree in engineering science from the Community College of Allegheny County, graduating two months before the shooting. He was employed as a dietary aide in a local nursing home at the time of the shooting. According to the nursing home, he had passed a background check and "performed his job without concern". He had been accepted into both the University of Pittsburgh and Robert Morris University and planned to attend the latter.

He had no known criminal record, and no known mental health problems. Crooks had a membership at a local shooting club for at least a year.

Attempted assassination of Donald Trump

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, as well as for information regarding the Democratic National Convention. 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.

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. Crooks also made searches for power plants and the attempted assassination on Slovakian prime minister Robert Fico. He used a number of aliases and encrypted communication accounts to buy firearm supplies and bomb-making material.

On July 12, 2024, Crooks went to a shooting range where he was a member to practice firing. He purchased over 50 rounds of ammunition and a ladder before going to the rally on July 13. He successfully requested the day off from work because he had "something to do", promising his co-workers he would return the next day.

Hours before the shooting, Crooks's parents called the police to report him as missing and expressed concern about his wellbeing.

On July 13, Crooks attempted to assassinate Donald Trump. He climbed atop a building that was being used by police as a staging area. Text messages from a sniper indicated that Crooks had been on their radar 90 minutes before the shooting. Using an AR-15–style rifle that his father had bought legally in 2013 and that was legally transferred to him in 2023, Crooks shot Trump and injured his upper right ear, and also shot three adult male audience members; one of them, 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, was killed. Crooks was then killed by a member of the Secret Service Counter Sniper Team after he began firing. Bomb-making materials were found inside his vehicle and at his home. The FBI identified Crooks as the shooter on July 14.

, an investigation by the FBI is underway. Crooks's motivation remains unknown.

Political activities

Authorities have stated that his political views are unknown, and they have not determined whether his assassination attempt was politically motivated. Public records do not indicate his views.

On January 20, 2021, at the age of 17, he donated $15 to the Progressive Turnout Project, a liberal voter turnout group, through the Democratic Party donation platform ActBlue. His donation was made the same day that President Biden was sworn into office. According to the Progressive Turnout Project, he made the donation in response to an email about "tuning into" the inauguration; he was unsubscribed from the group's mailing list in 2022.

Crooks had been registered to vote since September 2021, when he turned 18. He registered as a Republican. He voted only once, in the 2022 midterm elections.

See also

* List of United States presidential assassination attempts and plots

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crooks, Thomas Matthew
2003 births
2024 deaths
21st-century American criminals
American failed assassins
American criminal snipers
American male criminals
Criminals from Pennsylvania
Deaths by firearm in Pennsylvania
Attempted assassination of Donald Trump
Failed assassins of presidents of the United States
People associated with the 2024 United States presidential election
People from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania
People shot dead by law enforcement officers in the United States