ATTEMPTED Donald Trump assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was not bullied and showed no particular political affiliations despite claims from former classmates, the gunman’s old school counselor says.
Crooks, 20, was shot dead by Secret Service snipers on Saturday after opening fire from a rooftop during Trump’s presidential campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, injuring the ex-commander in chief and striking three others – one of whom was tragically killed.
The FBI is currently investigating the shooting as a potential act of domestic terrorism but a clear motive has not yet been established.
Crooks is believed to have acted alone. His social media profiles do not contain threatening language and he has no documented history of mental health issues, investigators said on Sunday.
Explosive devices were later discovered inside his car.
In the days since the shooting, a complex profile has been painted of the felled would-be assassin by his former classmates at Bethel Park High School, where Crooks graduated from in 2022.
Some have claimed Crooks was a relentlessly bullied loner and an incapable marksman who was often seen donning political garb and hunting attire in the school’s hallways.
Others have claimed he kept a low profile and described him as pleasant, unassuming, and highly intelligent.
Jim Knapp, a retired school counselor who worked at Bethel Park High for more than 30 years, said he never saw any red flags in Crooks’ behavior that gave him cause for grave concern.
While Knapp often saw Crooks eating lunch alone, he did have a small group of friends and was not bullied or picked on as has been claimed by some of his former peers.
Knapp said Crooks ate alone frequently because his modest pool of friends were all on different lunch schedules.
“I can honestly tell you that Thomas Crooks was a quiet young man who stayed mostly to himself […] but I can assure you he was not bullied,” Knapp said.
“Every day I would walk through the lunchrooms and I would always make a point to go over to any kid sitting alone to make sure they were comfortable or to see if they wanted to interact.
“And in Thomas’ case, he would always say, ‘Hey, Mr. Knapp. I’m good, it’s good to see you,’ and then I’d move on.
“But he was fine. He was fine being by himself, and he was fine taking classes that were above his age level and the intelligence of other kids his age – he was college prep and took some AP classes.
Knapp added, “Bethel Park took bullying and mental health very seriously and they were very proactive to stop that kind of behavior.
“So unless it was happening in his home or on the internet, Thomas was definitely not bullied.
“He wasn’t the kind of kid who was running through the building high-fiving people in the hallways […] but he wasn’t a total outcast either.
“He was a quiet young man who had a small group of friends.”
Knapp remembers Crooks showing a particular affinity for history, computers, and electronics, but claims he never displayed any strong political affiliations one way or the other.
He also denied Crooks ever wore hunting attire on campus.
Had he done so, Knapp said he would’ve followed Crooks around the school, watching him like a hawk.
Knapp, who retired in June 2022, shared, “In my last few years there, I’d see kids wearing Trump shirts and Biden shirts and even religious shirts, but he never wore anything that stood out.
“He was a typical high school kid […] and he didn’t wear camo or hunting outfits.
“If he or someone else came onto campus looking like something from Duck Dynasty, I’d be following that kid around, but that did not occur.
“Since [the] Columbine [High School Massacre of 1999] I’ve always been concerned about mass shootings.
“I remember the day after Columbine, a kid came into school wearing a white feather trench coat and we dealt with that right away.
“But in Thomas’ case, we never saw anything like that. I never saw him running around with hunting hats or other clothes on – nothing to that effect whatsoever.”
Knapp said he interacted with Crooks on most given days and he has no idea what could’ve caused him to “snap” and take aim at President Trump with an intel to kill.
The now-retired counselor, 63, was alerted to the shooting in Butler by a friend who urged him to turn on the TV immediately and see what was happening near his former hometown.
Crooks opened fire at Trump with a semiautomatic AR-15-style rifle from a rooftop vantage point just minutes after the former president began speaking in front of a packed crowd in Butler, volleying off a succession of eight shots.
One of Crooks’ rounds grazed Trump’s right ear, narrowly missing his skull.
Trump was hastily tackled to the ground by his Secret Service detail but defiantly rose to his feet with blood smeared across his face, chanting “Fight!” with a raised fist.
Tragically, though, three of Trump’s spectators were hit, one fatally and the other two critically.
Corey Comperatore, 50, died after suffering a gunshot wound to the right side of his skull.
In a tribute on Facebook, his two daughters said the former volunteer fire chief died a hero by using his body as a shield to protect them and his wife when the shooting began.
Marine veteran David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74, were both seriously injured but confirmed to be in stable conditions as of Monday.
How Crooks managed to go undetected by authorities and open fire at Trump from just 130 meters away from where he stood on a podium remains under investigation.
Crooks was shot dead by a Secret Service sniper within seconds of him opening fire.
He wouldn’t be publicly identified as the gunman until Sunday morning.
Knapp said it took him several moments to realize who Crooks was before the penny finally dropped, stunning and appalling him in equal measure.
He described Crooks’ parents as caring and engaged.
“I dealt with the family on a few occasions and they were fine and always very good and helpful whenever I had to call home,” Knapp recounted.
“I couldn’t get a good reading on them necessarily, but they did seem involved and they were engaged.”
Knapp added that he believes there’s little Crooks’ parents could’ve done to foil their son’s sickening plans.
“I can’t tell you what happened with Thomas or why, but all I can say is when evil strikes, nobody can control that.
“I don’t care if you’re a mental health therapist, a school counselor, a guidance counselor, or Sigmund Freud – it ain’t happening.
“I credit this to the evil in the world,” he continued.
“We have to get a better grip on this and the mental health crisis we’re currently facing in this country.
“I believe it starts in the heart, I believe it starts when the child goes out into the world and when they start school.
“I’m thinking of Bethel Park, I’m thinking about Thomas’ family, and I thinking about the victims’ families.
“It’s a really sad day, but, again, I come back to there is evil in this world – and we must conquer it.”
Authorities are now working to piece together the hours, days, and weeks preceding Crooks’ shooting to help narrow their search for a motive.
On Friday, Crooks went to a local shooting range near his home in Bethel Park where he was a member to practice shooting, law enforcement sources told CNN.
Crooks was a member of the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club in Jefferson Hills, a roughly 30-minute drive from his home where his father, Matthew Crooks, was also a member.
Clairton’s attorney, Rob Bootay, told The U.S. Sun in a written statement that he is unable to confirm whether Thomas Crooks visited the club on Friday, confirming only that he was a member.
“Obviously, the Club fully admonishes the senseless act of violence that occurred on Saturday,” wrote Bootay.
“The Club also offers its sincerest condolences to the Comperatore family and extends prayers to all of those injured including the former President.”
The following morning, Crooks drove to a local branch of Home Depot where he bought a five-foot ladder, and later to a gun store where he purchased 50 rounds of ammunition.
Donald Trump was shot at his Pennsylvania rally on July 13.
1pm: Doors open at the Butler Farm Show grounds where Trump was expected to speak at 5pm.
4:11pm: Sean Parnell gave the opening speech.
4:35pm: David McCormick rallied the crowd.
5:30pm: Crowds were still waiting for Trump.
6:03pm: Trump takes the stage.
6:11pm: Gunshots were fired as Trump delivered remarks.
6:12pm: Trump was ushered off stage by Secret Service agents.
6:42pm: Secret Service confirmed Trump is safe.
7:24pm: The shooter and one rally attendee are confirmed dead by law enforcement officials.
8:42pm: Trump confirms he was shot in the ear, sharing a statement on Truth Social.
8:49pm: The Secret Service confirms the shooter and a rally attendee are dead. Two others remain critically injured.
Crooks then drove an hour north to Butler, parking his Hyundai Sonata outside the Trump rally with an improvised explosive device hidden in the truck that was wired to a transmitter he was carrying, CNN reports.
Investigators believe Crooks may have been planning to stage a distraction with the explosive device before his shooting began.
Several rallygoers reported to local officers that Crooks was acting suspiciously and pacing near the magnetometers before Trump took the stage, a confidential law enforcement source told AP.
Officers were then told Crooks was climbing a ladder, the official said. Officers searched for him but were unable to find him before he made it to the roof, the official added.
Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe revealed that a local officer climbed to the roof and encountered Crooks, who saw the officer and turned toward him just before the officer dropped down to safety.
Slupe said the officer couldn’t have wielded his gun under the circumstances.
The officer retreated down the ladder, and Crooks quickly took a shot toward Trump, and that’s when Secret Service snipers shot him, according to two law enforcement officials.
I can’t tell you what happened with Thomas or why, but all I can say is when evil strikes, nobody can control that.
Jim Knapp
Police are currently scouring through Crooks’ phone and computer in search of a motive for Saturday’s shooting but have so far come up empty-handed.
His political leanings are also unknown; 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 the day Biden was sworn into office in January 2021.
Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High the following year.
Crooks tried out for the school’s rifle team but was apparently turned away because he was a bad shot, said Frederick Mach, a current captain of the team who was a few years behind Crooks at the school.
Knapp contested Mach’s account and said the school’s shooting team is highly competitive, and more than 80 children try out for it at any given time, with most of them not making the cut.
His omission from the team is not necessarily indicative of him having hopeless marksman skills, Knapp added.
The Bethel Park School District said in separate remarks that while it was limited in what it could publicly disclose, the district will be cooperating fully with police.
“The school district wishes to express its sincere wishes for a speedy and full recovery for Mr. Trump and for those in attendance at the Saturday event who may have been physically harmed or emotionally impacted by these tragic events,” the district said, in part, in a statement.
“We offer special condolences to the family of at least one attendee who was killed. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time.”
At the time of his death, Crooks was working at a nursing home as a dietary aide, helping to prepare food for elderly residents.
Marcie Grimm, the administrator of Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, said in a statement she was “shocked and saddened” to learn Crooks was behind the shooting, adding the 20-year-old had cleared a background check when he was hired.
Matthew Crooks has not responded to repeated requests for comment.
He told CNN on Saturday night that he was trying to figure out “what the hell is going on” but would “wait until I talk to law enforcement” before speaking about his son.
Both of Crooks’ parents have been cooperating with investigators, officials say.
Trump was met with rapturous applause on Monday night when he appeared on stage at the Republican National Committee Convention, hours after nominating JD Vance as his VP pick.
He was flanked by security, wearing a bandage on his right ear, and appeared emotional as he made his way through the crowd, marking his first public appearance since the terrifying attack.
Lee Greenwood gave a live performance of his signature song, God Bless the USA, as Trump walked in waving to chants of “fight, fight, fight” from the crowd.
The former president, who was officially named the Republican presidential nominee just hours earlier, made his way to his seat, where he was greeted by his sons, Don Jr. and Eric, and daughter Tiffany.
Trump did not speak on Monday and appeared only for the final hour of speeches.
He is however slated to speak at the convention on Thursday, where he is expected to address the shooting publicly for the first time.
Trump told the NY Post that he has scrapped his “humdinger” of a planned speech in the wake of Saturday in favor of a more unifying message.
“I had all prepared an extremely tough speech, really good, all about the corrupt, horrible administration,” he said.
But I threw it away. his is a chance to bring the whole country, even the whole world, together.
“The speech will be a lot different, a lot different than it would’ve been two days ago.
“It is a chance to bring the country together. I was given that chance.”
