Video Shows Trump Shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks Being Bullied In School
Donald Trump's would-be assassin was bullied in high school, according to former classmates and a newly surfaced video.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was shot and killed by the Secret Service Saturday -- moments after he opened fire during Trump's Pennsylvania rally, grazing the former president's ear, killing one attendee, and wounding two others.
Since the attempted assassination of Trump, information about and videos of the gunman and his past have popped up online.
One such video filmed a few years ago appeared to show Crooks getting bullied by a high school classmate, TMZ reported.
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In the clip obtained by the outlet, the student appeared to harass Crooks by pulling on his pant leg as the latter was sitting at his desk and using his mobile phone.
The other student, whose face was not captured in the video, continued to yank on Crooks' pants despite the latter repeatedly saying, "Stop."
Crooks noted at the end of the short clip that his leg was being bothered by his classmate.
The person taking the video could also be heard laughing over the interaction.
Crooks -- who lived in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania -- went to Bethel Park High School, graduating in 2022.
Speaking to KDKA, a former classmate named Jason Kohler described Crooks as a loner who was "relentlessly" bullied.
He was also known for wearing hunting outfits and playing video games in class, according to Kohler.
#NEW: We are hearing from the first classmate of Thomas Crooks. His Bethel Park classmate described him as a loner who was bullied relentlessly and wore “hunting” outfits often in class. @KDKA pic.twitter.com/mmIYwomjGJ
— MEGHAN SCHILLER (@MeghanKDKA) July 14, 2024
Another former classmate, who was not named, told the New York Post that Crooks "didn't seem like really weird or anything."
"I would have pegged him as a Republican," the anonymous classmate added. "He was more of a loner. He probably had a friend group, but not many friends."
Crooks reportedly donated $15 to liberal campaign group ActBlue in 2021. However, state voter records show he registered as a Republican after turning 18, the Post reported.
After high school, Crooks studied at the Community College of Allegheny, where he received an associate degree in engineering science in May, the BBC reported.
He was a member of a local gun club. He also tried to join his high school's rifle team but was rejected because he was a "terrible" shot and made "off-color" jokes, his former classmates told the Post.
As of Monday, federal investigators have not yet determined the motive behind the Trump rally shooting, which is being investigated as a potential act of domestic terrorism, the Associated Press reported.
According to the FBI, Crooks had bomb-making materials in the car he drove to the event and at his home.
Investigators said they have not found any online comments or handwritten notes by Crooks that could hint at his motive for targeting Trump.
The FBI said Crooks' family is cooperating with investigators.
