- Crooks identified as Trump shooter
- Crooks was shot dead by a Secret Service sniper
- Crooks' family is cooperating with investigators
A 20-year-old man, Thomas Matthew Crooks, has been identified as the suspect in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Crooks, a resident of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was shot dead by a Secret Service sniper at the scene.
Investigators believe he acted alone, using an AR-15 rifle purchased by his father, and that he had no prior criminal record or known motives.
The community is in shock, describing Crooks as a quiet and intelligent individual who showed no signs of violence.
The FBI is conducting an ongoing investigation into the incident, which has left one dead and two wounded.
Thomas Crooks had not been carrying ID, so investigators used DNA and facial recognition technology to identify him, the FBI said.
He was from Bethel Park in Pennsylvania, about 70km (43 miles) from the site of the attempted assassination, and graduated in 2022 from Bethel Park High School with a $500 (£385) prize for maths and science, according to a local newspaper.
Crooks worked in a local nursing home kitchen just a short drive away from his home, where staff members have said that he passed a background check and raised no concerns.
The Community College of Allegheny, or CCAC, has confirmed that Crooks attended the school between September 2021 and May 2024. He graduated with an associate degree in engineering science.
In a statement sent to the BBC, the college noted that he graduated “with high honours” and that a review of his records turned up no disciplinary, student conduct or security-related incidents.
The University of Pittsburgh also told the BBC that in February he was was accepted as a transfer student there for the fall 2024 semester. The following month, he elected not to attend.
State voter records show that he was a registered Republican, according to US media.
He also donated $15 to liberal campaign group ActBlue in 2021, according to an election donation filing and news reports.
He had a membership at a local shooting club, the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, for at least a year, the club confirmed to the BBC.
The vast club is based south of Pittsburgh and is “one of the premier shooting facilities in the tri-state area” of Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. It has more than 2,000 members.
It has multiple gun ranges, including a high-power rifle facility with targets up to 171 metres away.
The club’s owner, Bill Sellitto, told the BBC that the shooting was a “terrible, terrible thing”. Access to the club is tightly controlled, with only members allowed inside the sprawling facility.
“Obviously, the club fully admonishes the senseless act of violence,” attorney Robert S Bootay III, who represents the organisation, told the BBC.
Law enforcement officials believe the weapon used to shoot at Donald Trump, an AR-style rifle, was purchased by Crooks’ father, according to investigators.
It is unclear how the weapon came into his son’s hands, although there is no suggestion the father had any inkling of what was to take place.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, two officers told AP that Crooks’ father bought the weapon at least six months ago.
Authorities also say that Crooks purchased a box of ammunition containing 50 rounds on the day of the rally, reports CBS, the BBC’s US news partner.
According to US media reports, Crooks was wearing a T-shirt from Demolition Ranch, a YouTube channel known for its guns and demolition content. The channel has millions of subscribers featuring videos on different guns and explosive devices.
The day after the shooting, law enforcement sources also told CBS that suspicious devices were found in Crooks’ vehicle.
According to CBS, the suspect had a piece of commercially available equipment that appeared capable of initiating the devices.
Bomb technicians were called to the scene to secure and investigate the devices.
What was his motivation?
Having established Crooks’ identity, police and agencies are investigating his motive.
So far, they have been unable to identify one.
On 15 July, the FBI said its forensic experts have successfully accessed Crooks’ phone, and they are examining it and other digital evidence for clues.
The inquiry into what took place could last for months and investigators would work “tirelessly” to identify what Crooks’ motive was, Kevin Rojek, the FBI Pittsburgh special agent in charge, said on the day of the shooting.
Speaking to CNN, Crooks’ father, Matthew Crooks, said he was trying to figure out “what the hell is going on” but would “wait until I talk to law enforcement” before speaking about his son.
Crooks’ family is cooperating with investigators, according to the FBI.
Citing three law enforcement sources, CBS has reported that his father called police after the shooting, although the nature of that call is still unclear.
In total, more than 100 interviews have so far been conducted.
