Photo by Trump Campaign Office / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images
The 20-year-old man who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday had good grades and barely any disciplinary issues in school, records obtained by Business Insider show.
Thomas Crooks' clean academic record does nothing to answer questions about his motive for shooting at Trump. And it appears to be consistent with news reports based on interviews with former classmates and people who knew him. Crooks was killed by a Secret Service sniper shortly after firing shots that hit Trump and three rally-goers, killing one, Corey Comperatore.
Crooks was a straight-A student during his senior year at Bethel Park High School, graduating with a 4.87 grade point average, according to his academic records, which BI got through a public records request. He took four Advanced Placement classes that year — calculus AB, macroeconomics, statistics, and US government and politics — in addition to courses in English, programming, personal finance, and business.
The only disciplinary record in the files of Bethel Park School District dates from Crooks' days in middle school when he was twice caught chewing gum in class and reported to the wrong location to serve his lunchtime detention.
"Actively participates," teachers' notes say, year after year. "A pleasure to have in class."
Apart from a period in freshman year when he had a few Bs and a C in Spanish, he appears to have been a high-achieving student. While he had some struggles with math as a young child, by sixth grade, his standardized test scores were in the 97th percentile nationally, the records show.
The records don't appear to contain any details of extracurricular activities. Crooks reportedly tried and failed to make his school's rifle team. Fellow students have told news outlets that he was bullied.
According to news accounts, federal authorities found little evidence pointing to any motive on Crooks' electronic devices. He reportedly searched for photos of Trump, President Joe Biden, and other prominent figures. He was a registered Republican but also gave to a progressive political group.
