Suspected Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks got rejected by school rifle team, his former classmates say

BUTLER: Former classmates of the 20-year-old who shot at former US President Donald Trump during a campaign rally said he tried out for his high school’s rifle team but was rejected for being a “comically bad shot”.

The alleged gunman has been identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. He was fatally shot by the Secret Service.

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Former classmates of Crooks told the New York Post he tried out for the rifle team at Bethel Park High School.

“He tried out … and was such a comically bad shot he was unable to make the team and left after the first day,” Jameson Murphy told the paper.

Murphy recalled Crooks once fired from the far right lane of the school’s shooting range and hit the left wall, completely missing every target on the back wall.

Another classmate, not named, was reported as saying Crooks “couldn’t shoot at all. He was a terrible shot”.

He also “made some crass jokes that weren’t appropriate when there are firearms in the school setting”, they said.

Secret Service snipers killed Crooks on Saturday after he fired multiple shots at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, from a nearby rooftop.

As authorities seek to understand his motivations, here is what we know of the alleged gunman:

‘Quiet’

Crooks’ former schoolmates also described him as a “quiet” student who often came across as “lonely,” ABC News reported.

But although he seemed “socially reserved,” a former schoolmate did not recall hearing him discuss politics or Trump, according to ABC.

Trump, 78, was hit in the ear at the rally. A bystander was killed and two spectators critically injured in the worst act of US political violence in decades.

Jason Kohler, who said he attended the same high school as Crooks, said the alleged shooter had often been bullied.

“He was quiet but he was just bullied. He was bullied so much,” Kohler told reporters.

He said Crooks had been made fun of for the way he dressed, noting that he would sometimes wear hunting outfits.

No military ties

Following the shooting, investigators found a “suspicious device” in Crooks’ car, which was inspected by bomb technicians and is being analysed.

They noted that explosive devices have been collected as evidence.

Authorities are now in the process of searching Crooks’ phone.

Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, told reporters Sunday that the gun used in the shooting was an AR-style semiautomatic rifle which was purchased legally.

Investigators believe the weapon used was purchased by Crooks’ father, but it was unclear how he accessed the weapon.

Rojek added that there were no indications so far of any mental health issues.

Crooks also did not have military affiliations, according to Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder.

The FBI told reporters that they are investigating the incident as an assassination attempt and also potential domestic terrorism act.

Acted alone

The shooter was believed to be working alone, according to the FBI, and officials said they have not identified an ideology associated with him.

His political leanings were not instantly clear.

News reports indicated he was a registered Republican, but also noted that he previously gave money to a Democratic-aligned progressive political action committee.

While social media platform Discord said it had identified an account that appeared linked to the suspect, this was “rarely utilized.”

A spokesperson added that “we have found no evidence that it was used to plan this incident, promote violence, or discuss his political views.”

The suspect’s father Matthew Crooks earlier told CNN that he was trying to establish “what the hell is going on” before speaking about his son.

2,000 tips

Rojek said that the FBI had Crooks’ phone and was working to access the information stored in it. Getting into the phone was a priority, he said, as investigators search for evidence of Crooks’ motive. Crooks’ family is cooperating with the investigation, Rojek said.

The FBI has received more than 2,000 tips so far, Rojek said. The FBI hadn’t identified any record of Crooks having previous interactions with law enforcement and so far hadn’t found evidence of him expressing threats before the incident, he said.

The US Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting Trump as a former president as well as a candidate, has come under scrutiny following the attack. The agency said that the shooter had fired shots at the stage from an elevated area outside of the rally and was killed by Secret Service personnel.

Officials said that while the FBI’s investigation for now is focused on the shooting and not broader questions about how the event was secured, there would also be a full probe of the timeline of the shooting and how it happened.