BETHEL PARK, PA – A criminal profiler says Thomas Matthew Crooks' attempted assassination of former President Trump in western Pennsylvania last week was likely not politically motivated or a random act of violence.
Keith Howard, chief deputy for the Morgan County Sheriff's Office in Georgia and criminal profiler, shared with Fox News Digital the behavioral science behind the attempted murder of Thomas Matthew Crooks.
Howard said the shooting of Trump was a sign of an “organized thinker” and not a random act of violence.
“As much chaos as these events may create in what we observe, they are actually organized thinkers,” he said. “Don't think of it as an impulsive act. It's not typical for them to wake up in the morning and say, 'There's going to be a presidential candidate in my county, in my district, so I'm going to go and try to kill him.'”
Former US politics classmate of Trump shooter talks about talks with would-be assassin Thomas Crooks
An undated file photo of Thomas Matthew Crooks. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
“Regardless of how, if you look at this type of individual and say, 'Well, he may have been a loner or didn't have a lot of friends or wasn't close, it doesn't mean he can't think,'” he said.
Howard said the FBI investigation could reveal that this was a crime of opportunity.
“And if we do this behavioral analysis, if he's looking for something that's nefarious, then when he's looking for Trump rallies and the Democratic National Convention, and he sees that one is going to be in his backyard, now all of his actions will have taken effect.
“I imagine some of these things are being evaluated as they go along.” [FBI] “Collect this information.”
Two men who appear to be FBI agents spoke with neighbors of Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks a week after he opened fire at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
Howard also said it wouldn't be a surprise if the FBI eventually revealed that Crooks had no political motivations.
“Let's look at what history has told us about the event we're looking at, and what does the research tell us about it?” Howard said.
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Citing a 1980s research study by the U.S. Secret Service, Howard said there is no profile of a murderer or attempted murderer.
“You can go from age 16 to age 60,” he said. “And there's rarely a mental illness in between.”
Two men who appear to be FBI agents spoke with neighbors of Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks a week after he opened fire at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
Howard said the FBI's behavioral sciences unit will likely conduct an indirect personality assessment, which would include interviewing as many people as possible who knew Crooks with a list of standardized questions.
The questions, the expert said, would focus on Crooks' prior characteristics and traits before he acted against Trump.
“The methodology they use is to make sure they ask the same questions to the same people to get the full range of answers,” he explained. “They will also compare that information to what they have about the crime scene and start to build a behavioral model.”
“They'll start to piece together what they think about the offender's behavior,” he added. “Once they get what they think is the most information they can get, then they'll start to move toward the motivational typology of what they think motivated this type of individual.”
The home of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the would-be assassin who tried to kill former President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last week. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
According to the FBI, investigators have gained access to Crooks' cell phone and laptop. Howard said the access to Crooks' phone and computer will be “tremendous” as the investigation continues.
“The phone is a closer link to his mind,” he said. “If there are images, if there are plans, it will be of great help in understanding the behavior of the criminal.”
“There's also geofencing, which allows them to track you,” he said. “I know that's a top priority for the federal government.”
A state police sniper patrols the area around Laube Hall for the celebration of life of Corey Comperatore in Freeport, Pennsylvania, on Thursday. The 50-year-old hero was killed after being shot by Trump's would-be assassin in Butler. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
Crooks was shot and killed by snipers after firing a series of shots at Trump's rally on July 13 on the grounds of the Butler Farm Show in Butler.
Classmates of Crooks, who graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022, revealed that the 20-year-old was “quiet” and had only a few friends, describing him as a “loner.”
A Bethel Park High School classmate said Crooks was an avid gamer who enjoyed building computers.
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Although Crooks was registered as a Republican, his father was registered as a Libertarian and his mother was a Democrat, records show.
Investigators have not yet been able to determine a motive for the attempted murder.
