Who Was Thomas Matthew Crooks, The Person Who Shot at Donald Trump ?

Thomas Matthew Crooks, a young man, has been recognized as the perpetrator who shot Donald Trump during a campaign rally.

He shot at former President Donald Trump while he was addressing a crowd in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The incident left one member dead and two others wounded.

The twenty-year-old nursing home kitchen worker was shot by the Secret Service sniper. Crooks opened fire, with a semi-automatic AR - 15 rifle, from the roof of a manufacturing plant.

According to BBC, he worked in a local nursing home kitchen, a short drive away from his home.

He was from Bethel Park in Pennsylvania, about 70km (43 miles) from the site of the attempted assassination.

He graduated in 2022 from Bethel Park High School with a $500 prize for maths and science, according to a local newspaper.

Neighbours and locals in his hometown cannot comprehend how a young, quiet boy like Crooks could commit such a dangerous act.

He had a membership at a local shooting club, the Clairton Sportsmen's Club, for at least a year.

Young locals who went to school with him described him as a loner and a quiet person who was bullied frequently. He sometimes wore “hunting outfits to school.”

Another classmate described him as a student who got good grades and was well liked by teachers.

Jameson Myers, a former member of the Bethel Park High School varsity rifle team who graduated alongside Crooks in 2022, said that he did not make the team. “He never returned to try-outs for the remainder of high school”, Jameson said.

“He was a nice kid who never talked poorly of anyone and I never have thought him capable of anything I’ve seen him do in the last few days”, Myers described him.

According to US media reports, Thomas Matthew Crooks was wearing a T-shirt from Demolition Ranch, a YouTube channel, known for its guns and demolition content. The channel features numerous guns and explosive devices.

He had limited social media presence and had no signs of mental health issues.

As the youngster was not carrying an ID, the FBI used DNA and facial recognition technology to identify him.

The FBI said that Crooks was the “subject involved in the assassination attempt on the former president and that an active investigation was underway.”

Motive of the attack remains unknown and investigation into this shocking case is underway.

Inputs: BBC