“He was bullied so much”

New findings on the Trump assassin: Thomas Matthew Crooks was a “quiet guy” according to his classmates. They say that he was teased by others.

The shooting during a campaign rally of former US President Donald Trump in the state of Pennsylvania has caused shock beyond the borders of the USA. Trump survived the attack on Saturday (local time) in Butler by a whisker, he suffered a minor injury to his ear. One spectator, a 50-year-old fireman and father, died and two other men in the audience were seriously injured.

The suspected gunman, who fired several shots from the roof of a nearby building, was shot and killed by Secret Service agents. The FBI identified him as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.

Video | Images show attackers on the roof

Source: t-online

A driver’s license photo of Crooks shows him as a young man with dark blond hair parted on the side, glasses and a few spots on his face. Crooks’ former classmates describe him as a “quiet” student who often seemed “lonely,” ABC News reported.

A classmate told ABC News that Crooks seemed “socially reserved” and that he could not remember ever hearing him talk about politics in general or Trump in particular.

According to the New York Times, he played chess, was interested in programming and recently earned a degree in engineering. Another classmate, Zach Bradford, said Crooks seemed “incredibly intelligent” and his political views in high school were “slightly right-leaning.” He “never expected” Crooks to commit such an act.

• Read more about the Trump assassination here

Jason Kohler, who said he attended the same high school as the suspected shooter, told reporters that Crooks was often bullied. “He was quiet, but he was just bullied. He was bullied so much.” Crooks, who occasionally wore hunting clothes, was mocked for his style of dress.

Dan Grzybek, a county commissioner from the area where Crooks grew up, described the neighborhood as “pretty consistently middle class, maybe upper middle class,” according to the New York Times. The newspaper also reported that Crooks worked at a nursing home and that the facility was shocked by his actions in Butler. Staff there said his work gave them no cause for “concern.”

After the attempted assassination of Trump, investigators found material for two explosive devices in Crooks’ car, which was examined by bomb experts and will be further analyzed. Officials are said to have found a possible third explosive device in the house. Investigators are also analyzing the data from Crooks’ cell phone.

According to FBI special agent Kevin Rojek, Crooks used a semi-automatic rifle of the AR type, which is very common in the USA and which was purchased legally. Investigators assume that the weapon belongs to Crooks’ father. However, it was unclear how his son came into possession of the rifle.

On Sunday evening, the Clairton Sportsmen Club, a shooting club, confirmed that Crooks was a member. The facility has a 200-meter shooting range.

According to Rojek, no evidence of Crooks’ mental illness was initially found. According to Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder, the young man also had no ties to the army. The FBI is investigating the attempted attack for attempted murder and possible domestic terrorism.

The FBI assumes that Crooks acted alone. Investigators have not yet identified any “ideology” behind the crime.

Crooks’ political affiliations were initially unclear. According to media reports, he was registered as a voter for Trump’s Republican Party. However, he also donated money to a progressive political campaign group that has ties to the Democratic Party. His parents were registered as Democrats and Libertarians.