Thomas Matthew Crooks has been identified by federal investigators as the man who allegedly shot at President Donald Trump and killed one person at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
The FBI is continuing to investigate the shooting and what could have motivated Crooks to attempt to assassinate Trump.
A recent report from CNN , citing a senior law enforcement official, found that hours before the shooter opened fire at the rally, he purchased 50 rounds of ammunition from a local gun store.
Investigators currently believe that the suspect’s father purchased the gun used in the assassination attempt just six months ago, a source familiar with the investigation told NPR .
The source also confirmed that at least one explosive device was found in Crooks’ car that could have been possibly workable.
But while more information continues to come out, investigators are still working to uncover the motive behind the shooting.
Here’s what they know about Crooks so far.
The 20-year-old’s family’s home is in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, the FBI shared. Law enforcement has blocked off the street where it is believed Crooks lived since Sunday.
Crooks graduated from Bethel Parks High School in 2022, the district confirmed on Sunday . It is continuing to work with investigators but was limited in the information it could release.
NPR has reported that Crooks worked at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center as a dietary aide, Marcie Grimm, the center’s administrator shared.
In a statement, Grimm said he “performed his job without concern, and his background check was clean.”
Crooks was also a member of the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, the gun club shared in a statement to NBC News .
Campaign finance data shows an individual matching Crooks’ name made a $15 donation to ActBlue for the Progressive Turnout Project , a political action committee aimed at mobilizing Democratic voters.
The $15 was donated on Jan. 20, 2021, the day of President Biden’s inauguration. Crooks would have been 17 at the time.
Reports have also highlighted the lack of social media presence that Crooks had, though the group-chatting site Discord has confirmed that he had an account on the platform.
“We have identified an account that appears to be linked to the suspect; it was rarely utilized, and we have found no evidence that it was used to plan this incident, promote violence, or discuss his political views,” a Discord spokesperson said in a statement to NPR. “Discord strongly condemns violence of any kind, including political violence, and we will continue to coordinate closely with law enforcement.”
Still, while more information continues to come out about Crooks, Investigators continue to try and piece together a possible motive for the attack.
Pennsylvania voter registration shows Crooks was a registered Republican, he had donated money to a Democratic organization, he had no criminal history, and the FBI says he was “not known” to them before this.
Most Popular
Comments / 0