The 20-year-old gunman who attempted to assassinate former President Trump was a nursing home dietary aide, a brilliant student and a member of a gun club.
Thomas Matthew Crooks belonged to a gun club based in Clairton, Pennsylvania, nearly nine miles from his family home in Bethel Park. Attorney Robert S. Bootay III confirmed to The Times that Crooks, who was shot and killed by Secret Service agents on Saturday, was a member of the Clairton Sportsmen's Club.
“Obviously, the club fully condemns the senseless act of violence that took place yesterday,” Bootay, who represents the organization, said in a statement. “The club also offers its sincerest condolences to the Comperatore family and extends its prayers to all those injured, including the former president.”
Bootay declined to comment further, citing the pending FBI investigation.
The Clairton Sports Club, located on 180 acres south of Pittsburgh, touts itself as “one of the finest shooting facilities in the tri-state area” and has more than 2,000 members. It offers youth events, archery facilities, safety courses, and multiple rifle ranges, including a high-powered rifle range with targets up to 187 yards away.
BBC News was the first to report Crooks' affiliation with the club.
Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the FBI's Pittsburgh division, said at a news conference Sunday that Crooks used a 556 AR-style rifle in the shooting that was legally purchased by his father, Matthew Crooks. The elder Crooks is a licensed counselor in Pennsylvania, according to state and federal records.
Bruce Piendl, a local gun shop owner, told Reuters there are “a lot of gun clubs” in the area around Bethel Park. “We have a rich tradition of hunting, fishing and outdoor activities,” he said.
Rojek said authorities found a suspicious device in Thomas Matthew Crooks' car, which was inspected by explosives experts and made safe. He added that the FBI was in the process of analyzing it further.
Rojek said there was no indication at this time that the shooter had mental health issues. His social media presence has not yet provided any clues about his ideology or motive.
“We are continuing to review all of his social media accounts and look for any potentially threatening language,” Rojek said, “but so far, we have not seen any.”
A law enforcement source told the New York Times that Crooks' social media activity showed he enjoyed playing chess and video games and was learning to code.
Discord, a messaging platform, told The Times it identified and removed an account that may have belonged to Crooks, citing its “off-platform behavior policy.”
“It was used on rare occasions, hasn’t been used in months, and we have found no evidence that it was used to plan this incident, promote violence, or discuss political views,” a Discord spokesperson said in a statement. “Discord strongly condemns violence of any kind, including political violence, and we will continue to coordinate closely with law enforcement.”
Crooks is a 2022 graduate of Bethel Park High School, the Bethel Park School District said in a statement. In a video of the school’s graduation ceremony posted online, Crooks can be seen walking across the stage to receive his diploma, slim and wearing glasses.
In his senior year, Crooks was among several students who received an award for math and science, according to a Tribune-Review article at the time.
The district said it would “fully cooperate with the active police investigation surrounding this case.”
Jason Kohler, who said he attended the same high school but did not share classes with Crooks, said Crooks was bullied and sat alone during lunch. Other students made fun of him for the way he dressed, such as wearing hunting gear, Kohler said.
“He was bullied almost every day,” Kohler told reporters. “He was an outcast, and you know what kids are like these days.”
Jameson Myers, who was part of Crooks' graduating class, told CBS News that Crooks tried out for his high school's shooting team during his freshman year but didn't make the cut.
Myers told the outlet that Crooks was a “nice guy who never talked bad about anyone.”
Crooks worked at a nursing home as a nutritional assistant, a job that typically involves preparing food. Marcie Grimm, the administrator at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, said in a statement that she was “shocked and saddened to learn of his involvement.” Grimm added that Crooks had no criminal record when he was hired.
Crooks’ political leanings were not immediately clear. Records show Crooks was registered as a Republican voter in Pennsylvania, but federal campaign finance reports also show he donated $15 to a progressive political action committee on Jan. 20, 2021, the day President Biden took office.
Images of Crooks’ body reviewed by the Associated Press show he appeared to be wearing a T-shirt from Demolition Ranch, a popular YouTube channel with more than 11.6 million subscribers that regularly posts videos showing its creator Matt Carriker firing pistols and assault rifles at targets including human mannequins and vehicles.
Carriker did not immediately respond to phone calls and social media messages from The Times. However, he had posted on social media a photo of Crooks’ bloodied corpse wearing his branded T-shirt and the comment: “What the hell.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
