Trump’s Campaign Had Once Profiled Thomas Matthew Crooks’ Father as ‘Strong Republican, Gun Owner’

The father of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old man who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump, had previously been identified by Trump’s campaign as a prime candidate for pro-gun messaging as part of their profiling methods used for political campaigning. Matthew Crooks, 53, was covertly profiled by Trump’s 2016 campaign as “a strong Republican, likely gun owner and hunter,” Independent reported.

This characterization was part of a confidential data analysis that assessed 6.7 million voters in Pennsylvania, a critical battleground state. According to Channel 4, Matthew Crooks, a registered Libertarian, was flagged as one of the top 20 prospects in the Pittsburgh suburb of Bethel Park. The Trump campaign's database indicated that he scored highly on several gun-related data models, marking him as a voter “susceptible to political messages about gun rights.”

Channel 4 described the data-mining technique as "secretive," claiming that the Trump team used the firearms-specific data models to score almost 50 million people in ten swing states overall. The revelation comes in the wake of the recent violent incident where Thomas Crooks fired at Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The investigation has now revealed that the AR-15 rifle used in the attempt was legally purchased by the 20-year-old shooter's father Matthew Crooks back in 2013, per Newsweek. On the day of the rally, Thomas bought 50 rounds of 5.56 ammunition before climbing onto a nearby rooftop and opening fire. Although Trump was only grazed in the ear, the attack resulted in the death of one spectator and left two others critically injured. The shooter was subsequently killed by Secret Service snipers.

Dad Matthew Crooks has yet to make a public statement regarding his son and the incident, as he's still presently reeling from the incident. Speaking to the media, he said he needs to understand "what the hell is going on" before commenting any further. Crooks' family has been cooperating with authorities as they investigate the assassination attempt. Thomas Crooks’ mother, a Democrat, was also identified by Trump’s campaign as a likely gun owner potentially receptive to pro-gun messaging.

The FBI believes Crooks, who had bomb-making materials in the car he drove to the rally, acted alone and that his family may not have had any idea of their son's plans. Investigators have additionally not found any threatening comments on social media accounts or ideological positions that could help explain what led him to target Trump.

The motivations behind Thomas Crooks’ actions still remain unclear. His uncle, Mark Crooks, expressed bewilderment when reached by The Independent, stating he had "no idea" about his nephew's reasons for the attack. The FBI continues to investigate, having searched Crooks’ home, car, cellphone, and computer, and interviewed over 100 individuals. Authorities have not yet disclosed any indicators explaining why Crooks targeted Trump.