Federal investigators have released the name of the man they say sought to assassinate presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump at a Butler County rally on Saturday, but much else about Thomas Matthew Crooks remained a mystery on Sunday.
Early indications are that the 20-year-old had been a quiet student in Bethel Park schools, known for having a small circle of friends and an interest in the military before graduating in 2022 from Bethel Park High School. A spokeswoman for the Community College of Allegheny County also confirmed that he graduated from that institution in May after earning an associate degree in engineering science.
Voter registration records showed he was registered as a Republican. No one answered the telephone or responded to a message left at the home where he lived in suburban Bethel Park, and the neighborhood surrounding the home was quiet early Sunday. The only indications of a connection to Saturday's events were police blockades preventing entry to the block in which the house is located.
Crooks was employed as a dietary aide at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, according to Marcie Grimm, an administrator at the facility: "This morning, Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation became aware that Thomas Matthew Crooks, a dietary aide at the Center, was the alleged shooter in the assassination attempt on Former President Trump.
"We are shocked and saddened to learn of his involvement as Thomas Matthew Crooks performed his job without concern and his background check was clean," Grimm said. "We are fully cooperating with law enforcement officials at this time. Due to the ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further on any specifics. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Former President Trump and the victims impacted by this terrible tragedy. We condemn all acts of violence."
A woman who asked to be identified by only her first name, Kathy, said her son attended classes with Crooks and sometimes did group projects with him in high school. She said her son told her that Crooks was very small, smart and quiet.
“I hate to stereotype but like a little nerd,” she said.
Paige Updegraff, 20, said she went to school with Crooks and was in classes with him, including a health class and a P.E. class. She said he had a “quiet, raspy voice” and mainly hung out with and spoke to a couple of other boys.
“I feel like I really only saw him talking to the same people. I don't really think I ever saw him go out of his circle,” Updegraff said.
Updegraff says they were interested in the military and ROTC as a way to get into college, and they sometimes wore clothing that showed off their interest in the military.
Updegraff also said she was pretty sure that Crooks himself or one of his friends wore a pro-Trump shirt while in eighth grade.
“I would almost put money on the fact that I probably had seen him wear a Trump shirt or something along the lines of that beforehand, which is why this is so shocking to me,” she said.
Updegraff said she believes Crooks transferred to the Bethel Park School District in eighth grade and that he was a part of a class that received special instruction and often caused trouble for their teacher because of material they looked up on the internet.
“They would have videos of video games that were a little too graphic or a little too gory or something that they were looking up on [the teacher's] computer,” she said.
Although reports have emerged that Crooks was rejected when he sought to join the school rifle team and told never to return, a district source denied that account.
In a statement Sunday, the school district extended "sincere wishes for a speedy and complete recovery for Mr. Trump and those in attendance at the Saturday event who may have been physically harmed or emotionally impacted by these tragic events. We offer special condolences to the family of Mr. Corey Comperatore, who was killed. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time."
The district said it will "cooperate fully" with investigators, "and as such, we are limited in what we can publicly disclose."
"Moving forward, we will work closely with law enforcement investigators and share information as appropriate regarding school district policies, the active investigation, and law enforcement protocols," it said in the statement.
Dan Grzybek, an Allegheny County Councilor representing the area, was on stage two years ago during Crooks' graduation ceremony.
"From background I've gotten from people that I know that have gone to school with him, he was your typical average kid — more on the quiet side, relatively intelligent,” Grzybek said.
Grzybek confirmed that Crooks had won a $500 scholarship for his academics: "He was a pretty decent student. Everyone I spoke to was very surprised by this."
