Donald Trump: What is known about his alleged assassin

The shooting during a campaign rally of former US President Donald Trump in the state of Pennsylvania has caused shock beyond the borders of the USA. Trump survived the attack on Saturday (local time) in Butler by a whisker, suffering a minor injury to his ear. One spectator – a 50-year-old fireman and father – died and two other men in the audience were seriously injured.

The suspected gunman, who fired several shots from the roof of a nearby building, was shot and killed by Secret Service agents. The FBI identified him as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.

A driver’s license photo of Crooks shows him as a young man with dark blond hair parted on the side, glasses and a few spots on his face. Crooks’ former classmates describe him as a “quiet” student who often seemed “lonely,” ABC News reported.

Crooks is said to have been “socially reserved”

A classmate said that Crooks seemed “socially reserved” to him. He could not remember ever hearing him talk about politics in general or Trump in particular.

Jason Kohler, who said he attended the same high school as the suspected shooter, told reporters that Crooks was often bullied. “He was quiet, but he was just bullied. He was bullied so much.” Crooks, who occasionally wore hunting clothes, was mocked for his style of dress.

Dan Grzybek, a county commissioner from the area where Crooks grew up, described the neighborhood as “pretty much entirely middle class, maybe upper middle class,” according to the New York Times. The newspaper also reported that Crooks worked at a nursing home and that the facility was shocked by his actions in Butler.

Shot with a legally purchased weapon

After the attempted assassination of Trump, investigators found a suspicious object in Crooks’ car, which was examined by bomb experts and will be further analyzed. Explosive material was seized as evidence. Investigators are also evaluating the data from Crooks’ cell phone.

According to FBI special agent Kevin Rojek, Crooks used a semi-automatic rifle of the AR type, which is very common in the USA and which was purchased legally. Investigators assume that the weapon belongs to Crooks’ father. However, it was unclear how his son came into possession of the rifle.

According to Rojek, no evidence of Crooks’ mental illness was initially found. According to Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder, the young man also had no ties to the army. The FBI is investigating the attempted attack for attempted murder and possible domestic terrorism.

Lone perpetrator attempted assassination of Donald Trump

The FBI assumes that Crooks acted alone. Investigators have not yet identified any “ideology” behind the crime.

Crooks’ political views were initially unclear. According to media reports, he was registered as a voter for Trump’s Republican Party. However, he also donated money to a progressive political campaign group that has ties to the Democratic Party.

The online network Discord announced that it had identified a user account that apparently belonged to the suspect. However, it was only “rarely used”. Discord found “no indication that it was used by Crooks to plan this incident, promote violence, or discuss his political views”.

Apparently Crooks’ father also cannot explain what drove his son to shoot Trump. He is trying to figure out “what the hell is going on” before he can speak publicly about his son, Matthew Crooks told CNN.