During an election rally in Butler, Pennsylvania Thomas Matthew Crooks, shot former US President Donald Trump. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Sunday said, Crooks was shot dead by law enforcement.
A 20-year-old registered Republican, Bethel Park, Pennsylvania resident, Thomas Matthew Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022. He would have been eligible to cast his first presidential vote in the presidential elections scheduled to be held on November 5 this year.
What happened at the election rally?
Thomas Crook became a piece of attention when he was reportedly “acting strangely,” right outside the election campaign event of Trump, news agency AP reported. He was seen climbing a ladder, and then disappeared into thin air, till he reached the roof and was located by the officers.
According to officials, Crooks began firing an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle, slipping onto a rooftop location 150 yards (140 meters) from the stage where Trump was speaking. A 50-year-old man was shot dead, along with two other attendees wounded, and Trump’s right ear injured.
But the officer couldn’t wield his gun under such circumstances, following which Crook took the shot at Donald Trump. Secret Service snipers then shot him just the next moment.
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Who was Thomas Mathew Crook?
Thomas Mathew Crook was considered a bright and quiet kid, in his school. The school counsellor described him as ‘respectful’ and mostly ‘kept to himself’, who did not hold any interest in politics. The FBI reported no sign of threatening language on his social, nor any mental health history.
Moreover, he was turned down from the rifle team in his school because of being a ‘bad shooter’. His friends reported his primary interest in building computers and playing games. Politics was never a topic of conversation even among his extended circle.
As per public records, Crooks’s father is a registered Republican and his mother a registered Democrat. He used to work as a dietary aide at a nursing home.
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No sign of violence or political standpoints discovered
The motive and agenda behind this act are still undercover. The officials are considering this to be a potential act of domestic terrorism, where Crooks was “acting alone”. FBI investigations are underway to get to the real cause as the political beliefs of the crook have not surfaced yet.
A video posted over social media showed Crooks wearing a grey t-shirt laying motionless with a black American flag on the right arm. The t-shirt was reportedly from Demolition Ranch, which is a YouTube channel posting videos of creators firing off handguns at targets and mannequins.
About the Author
Ms Anuja Choudhary is a public policy enthusiast and Master in Philosophy from LSR, DU. With a keen eye for authenticity, she is currently honing her craft as a writer to pen down the voices with utmost sincerity and integrity.
