The world was left reeling when Thomas Matthew Crooks, a quiet 20-year-old dietary aide from Pennsylvania, attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump . As investigators continue to piece together the events leading up to that fateful day, new revelations have shed light on Crook’s deep and troubling obsession that may have fueled his actions.
Thomas Mathew Crooks attended Bethel Park High School, where you can go to “Building 6” and practice at the RIFLE RANGE. WTF? Does your local HS have a gun range? https://t.co/NEr63rPT7c pic.twitter.com/7d2An195fF
— Riff2112 (@TheFaxMatter) July 14, 2024
It has now emerged that Crooks was not just an ordinary gun enthusiast but was consumed by an intense fixation on sharpshooting. Records reveal that he spent an astonishing amount of time at the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, a local gun range where he honed his skills with an ardent dedication. In a year, Crooks visited the range 43 times, practicing his sharpshooting three to six times per month. His visits were not limited to typical weekends. Crooks spent holidays like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and even Halloween at the range, perfecting his aim.
According to logs obtained by Sen. Chuck Grassley, Crooks spent 80% of his time at the range with long guns, particularly rifles, rather than handguns, the Daily Mail reported. This detail is particularly chilling considering that on July 13, Crooks used his father’s legally purchased AR-style rifle to fire at Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
JUST IN: 🇺🇸 Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20 year old shooter who tried to assassinate President Donald Trump was featured in a BlackRock commercial in 2023. pic.twitter.com/hY0HumzdYq
— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) July 14, 2024
The day before the assassination attempt , Crooks made one final visit to the gun range. At 2:45 p.m. on July 12, less than 24 hours before the shooting, he was there, presumably making final preparations. FBI Director Christopher Wray, who shared these details with Congress , could not confirm whether Crooks carried the weapon directly to the rooftop from the range or stashed it beforehand. Interestingly, the Crooks family owned a total of 14 firearms.
As per NBC News , shedding light on Crooks’ personality, his former school counselor, Jim Knapp, asserted, “Thomas was a quiet young man, an intelligent young man, but he did keep to himself. He had a handful of friends. In the cafeteria, I’d sit down with him and I’d say, ‘Thomas, would you like me to get some kids over here?’ And he’d say, ‘Nope, Mr. Knapp, I want to be by myself.’ Which is fine. Thomas was a very good student. He wasn’t in trouble. So I didn’t get those calls…When I got the first text on Sunday…I was flabbergasted.” He added, “I go back and I think about it, and I say evil is in the world, and that’s what I believe happened with Thomas. He snapped. I believe that the devil and the evil really invaded his brain and that made him do what he did.”
Yet, despite the trove of information about his gun obsession, Crooks remains an enigma. His social media presence is almost non-existent, and while he was a registered Republican , he paradoxically donated to a progressive group supporting President Joe Biden in 2021. This contradiction has baffled investigators and left many wondering about his true motives.