The small Pittsburgh suburb of Bethel Park in Pennsylvania is in shock after the FBI identified a young local man, Thomas Matthew Crooks, as the shooter at a Donald Trump campaign rally, which stunned the nation. Investigators believe that Crooks, armed with a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle, fired at the former president while he was addressing a crowd in Butler, Pennsylvania, resulting in one audience member’s death and two others wounded. The 20-year-old kitchen worker was killed at the scene by a Secret Service sniper, officials said.
In his affluent hometown, neighbors are bewildered, struggling to comprehend how a quiet young man is now accused of the shooting. The FBI has stated only that Crooks was the “subject involved in the assassination attempt on the former president and that an active investigation is underway.”
Thomas Crooks had not been carrying ID, so investigators used DNA and facial recognition technology to identify him, the FBI reported. 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 math and science, according to a local newspaper.
Crooks worked in a local nursing home kitchen near his home, where staff members have said that he passed a background check and raised no concerns. The Community College of Allegheny, or CCAC, confirmed that Crooks attended the school between September 2021 and May 2024, graduating with an associate degree in engineering science. In a statement to the media, the college noted that he graduated “with high honors” and that a review of his records revealed no disciplinary, student conduct, or security-related incidents.
The University of Pittsburgh also informed the media that he was accepted as a transfer student there for the fall 2024 semester in February but decided not to attend the following month. State voter records show that he was a registered Republican, according to US media. He also donated $15 to the liberal campaign group ActBlue in 2021, according to election donation filings and news reports. He held a membership at the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, a local shooting club, for at least a year, the club confirmed to the media. The vast club, based south of Pittsburgh, is one of the premier shooting facilities in the tri-state area of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, with more than 2,000 members and multiple gun ranges, including a high-power rifle facility with targets up to 171 meters away.
The club’s owner, Bill Sellitto, told the media 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 organization, told the media.
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 say that Crooks purchased a box of ammunition containing 50 rounds on the day of the rally, reports CBS, the media’s US news partner. Police sources have also told CBS that he purchased a ladder at Home Depot before the shooting, although it is unclear if he brought it with him. 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 and features videos on different guns and explosive devices.
The day after the shooting, law enforcement sources 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.
Having established Crooks’ identity, police and agencies are investigating his motive. So far, they have been unable to identify one. On July 15, the FBI said its forensic experts successfully accessed Crooks’ phone and are examining it and other digital evidence for clues. The inquiry into what took place could last for months, and investigators will work “tirelessly” to identify Crooks’ motive, 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 been conducted. Police sealed off the road to the house where Crooks lived with his parents. The search of the residence was completed on July 15. A neighbor told CBS that officers evacuated her in the middle of the night with no warning. Bethel Park Police said there was a bomb investigation surrounding Crooks’ home. Access to the area remains controlled, with a police vehicle blocking entry to the street in front of the house. On Tuesday afternoon, yellow police tape could be seen strung up in front of the residence. The media had a clear view of the back of the residence but could not see any movement inside. Only residents have been allowed in or out of the street.
Law enforcement sources told CBS that they believe there was some degree of planning ahead of the shooting. How much time was spent in that planning, however, remains the subject of an ongoing investigation. Police believe Crooks acted alone but are continuing to investigate whether he was accompanied to the rally.
