Trump Shooter Thomas Crooks Was a 'Loner' Who Was Rejected from School's Rifle Team: Ex-classmate

Much as the media spotlight is on Donald Trump in the aftermath of his failed assassination attempt, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks is also dominating the headlines. The now-dead shooter who aimed at the former president during his Pennsylvania rally was apparently a "loner" who was rejected from his high school's rifle team according to his ex-classmate. 

Although Crooks was captured smiling in his yearbook photograph wearing a patriotic t-shirt, his former classmates revealed he was bullied in school, according to CBS News. Jameson Myers, who graduated in 2022 with the gunman, talked to the outlet and said the rally sniper was a "normal guy" and he wouldn't have imagined him being capable of doing such an act. 

Myers attended the Bethel Park High School along with Crooks and the two were together in the rifle team. The ex-classmate said they were much closer in elementary school but grew somewhat distant in high school. He described him as a "nice kid who never talked poorly of anyone," adding, "I never have thought him capable of anything I've seen him do in the last few days. When I did speak with him, he just seemed like a normal boy who was not particularly popular but never got picked on or anything." 

Although he was shot dead by a Secret Service sniper shortly after he attempted to kill Trump, the investigations revealed he was armed with a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle. Also, he was reportedly carrying suspicious items in his vehicle after the FBI said, "[Crooks was the] subject involved in the assassination attempt on the former president and that an active investigation was underway," as per BBC. 

He was identified by DNA and facial recognition technology as the shooter didn't carry any ID. He was a resident of Bethel Park in Pennsylvania, who lived about 43 miles from the site of the attempted assassination. While he was a bad shooter who was rejected from the rifle club, Crooks was awarded a $500 (£385) prize for maths and science, according to a local newspaper.

Crooks was a registered Republican but donated $15 to liberal campaign group ActBlue in 2021. He was also a member of a local shooting club, the Clairton Sportsmen's Club for nearly a year. However, law enforcement officials believe the rifle used to shoot the Republican front-runner was purchased by the gunman's father, the Associated Press reported.

Meanwhile, another classmate, Mark Sigafoos, painted a contradictory picture of what Crooks was like. He said that he never saw him being bullied. Instead, Sigafoos who graduated with Crooks and had two classes with him in senior year, added that he was super smart and approachable, very well-engaged in class, and always volunteered in class to answer. 

"This is one of the things that is being misconstrued — he was not some type of loner trenchcoat wearer. And I will say he was definitely nerdy, for sure, but he never gave off that he was creepy or like a school shooter. He seemed like he wouldn't hurt a fly," Sigafoos said.

Meanwhile, Kevin Rojek, FBI Pittsburgh special agent in charge, said in a statement, "We do not currently have an identified motive."