New evidence has emerged, shedding light on the troubled past of Thomas Crooks, the 20-year-old gunman who nearly assassinated Donald Trump at a campaign rally on Saturday.
Crooks, who grazed Trump’s ear with a bullet from an AR-style weapon, was swiftly neutralized by a Secret Service sniper but not before killing one attendee and critically injuring two others.
Recently surfaced video footage, obtained by TMZ, reveals a potential pattern of harassment Crooks endured during his high school years. Former classmates called Crooks by a chilling nickname: “school shooter.” The now-viral video shows classmates taunting Crooks, pulling at his trouser leg as he repeatedly asks them to stop. TMZ suggests this footage is evidence of past bullying and social isolation.
The Daily Mail reported:
Former classmate Julianna Grooms, 19, told the New York Times, “Kids would always say, ‘Hey, look at the school shooter over there!’ They would tease him about his poor hygiene and body odor. He was an easy target.” Sites like TMZ argue that this history of bullying may have contributed to Crooks’ eventual violent actions.
CBS News reported:
Jim Knapp, Crooks’ high school guidance counselor, described him as a “very good student” who “never got in trouble” but “just wanted to stay by himself.” This portrayal of Crooks as a loner aligns with accounts from other classmates who remember him as having few friends, according to the Daily Mail.
Despite his social challenges, Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022 and received a $500 “star award” from the National Math and Science Initiative. Footage from the graduation ceremony shows Crooks crossing the stage to applause, a stark contrast to the infamy he would achieve just two years later.
Investigations into Crooks’ background have revealed some surprising details. Federal campaign finance records show that Crooks was a registered Republican who made a $15 donation to the liberal ActBlue political action committee on January 20, 2021—President Biden’s Inauguration Day. This seemingly contradictory political engagement adds another layer of complexity to the developing narrative.
Pennsylvania public court records indicate that Crooks had no prior criminal history, leaving investigators struggling to identify a clear motive for the shooting. The Daily Mail added that his father, Matthew Crooks, expressed shock and confusion in a brief statement to CNN, saying he was trying to figure out “what the hell is going on” but would wait to speak with law enforcement before commenting further.
The assassination attempt unfolded dramatically at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Crooks opened fire from a rooftop 150 yards away from the stage where Trump was addressing thousands of supporters. Eyewitness accounts and video footage capture the chaotic moment when at least eight shots rang out, causing panic among the crowd.
In a display of resilience, Trump briefly emerged from the protective circle of Secret Service agents, raising his fist and shouting, “Fight, fight, fight,” before being escorted to safety and transported to the hospital. The Secret Service quickly neutralized the threat, with at least four law enforcement officers surrounding Crooks’ body on the rooftop.