July 15th 2024.
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New information has come to light about Thomas Crooks, the 20-year-old man who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump. According to law enforcement officials, Crooks fired shots at Trump during a rally in a Pittsburgh suburb called Bethel Park, which is about an hour's drive south of the event.
Crooks was a graduate of Bethel Park High School, as reported by local media and a video of the school's graduation ceremony. He had just finished his senior year in 2022. Jason Kohler, who also attended the same high school, shared with CNN that Crooks was often bullied by other students and seemed like a loner. Kohler described Crooks as having a blank expression when walking through the school hallways, and he was not part of any particular social group.
Crooks was often teased for his fashion choices, such as wearing hunting outfits, according to Kohler. Another former student, Sarah D'Angelo, remembered Crooks as a quiet and reserved student who did not show any signs of being politically or violently inclined. D'Angelo also mentioned that Crooks only spoke to her once, and it was during their graduation ceremony.
A third classmate, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that Crooks was intelligent, took honors classes, and was on the shy side. They also noted that Crooks had a group of friends who were quite conservative, and some of them even wore Trump hats. However, some students would comment on Crooks' appearance, saying he had a "retro nerd vibe."
Crooks had tried out for the school's rifle team, but he was not accepted due to poor shooting skills, according to Frederick Mach, a current captain of the team who was a few years behind Crooks. When authorities searched Crooks' home in Bethel Park, they cordoned off the surrounding streets. When CNN reached out to Crooks' father, Matthew Crooks, he expressed confusion and stated he would wait to speak to law enforcement before commenting on his son.
Records show that Crooks was a registered Republican voter in Pennsylvania. However, he also donated $15 to a progressive political action committee on January 20, 2021, the day President Joe Biden was inaugurated. This year's presidential election would have been the first time Crooks was eligible to vote.
The FBI is currently investigating Crooks' social media activity and weapons but has not yet determined his ideology. So far, they have not discovered any violent or threatening posts. The agency has received over 2000 tips regarding the case and believes Crooks acted alone and was not on their radar prior to the attempted assassination.
According to FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate, there has been an increase in threatening online rhetoric since the attempted assassination, and people are posing as the deceased shooter, who was killed by the US Secret Service. At a press conference, FBI Deputy Commissioner of Operations Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens stated that they are not ruling out the possibility of accomplices and are actively looking into any leads or information that could help with the investigation.
Bivens stressed that their priority is to identify the motive behind the attack and whether there were others involved. He also urged anyone with information about the shooter to come forward. The FBI confirmed that the investigation is ongoing.
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