Who is Thomas Crooks – the young man who shot Donald Trump

The FBI announced that the man who shot and killed Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania was 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who lived with his parents in a quiet suburb and was a registered supporter of the Republican Party.

After the bullet missed Trump, more precisely hitting his ear, the gunman fired several rounds into the crowd, killing one person and seriously injuring two others. He was shot and killed by Secret Service agents who were protecting former president and official presidential candidate Trump.

Thomas Crooks had no documents with him, and investigators confirmed his identity through DNA.

Thomas Crooks lived with his parents in Bethel Park, a quiet suburb of Pittsburgh, about 70 kilometers from the scene of the attempted murder. He graduated from school in 2022 and received a $500 prize for his achievements in mathematics and natural sciences. A local newspaper reported on this.

After graduation, Crooks worked in the kitchen of a nearby nursing home.

US media discovered that the young man who attempted to assassinate Republican candidate Trump was also officially registered as a Republican supporter.

However, three years ago, he donated $15 to ActBlue, an organization supporting the Democratic Party. According to US media reports, when the murder occurred, Crooks was wearing a T-shirt with the logo of Demolition Ranch. This is a YouTube channel with millions of subscribers that posts videos of guns and explosive devices.

Law enforcement officials discovered that the gun Thomas Crooks used in the shooting was legally purchased by his father more than six months earlier, the Associated Press reported, citing anonymous sources.

Unclear motives

“We have not determined his motive at this time,” Kevin Rojack, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, said at a news conference Saturday.

He said the investigation could last for months and that investigators will leave no stone unturned to find out what prompted Crooks to shoot Trump.

Thomas’ father, Matthew Crooks, told CNN he had no idea what happened and that he needed to speak to law enforcement before speaking to the media about his son.

After the assassination on Sunday night, police blocked Crooks’ home and nearby houses and immediately evacuated neighbors. Local police explained that the reason was that an explosive device was found in Crooks’ home.