'A bullied loner': Donald Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks had few friends, say classmates

Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally, was reportedly a bullied loner with an affinity for hunting outfits and video games.

Crooks, a 2022 graduate of Bethel Park High School, was described as a reserved individual who was often the target of relentless bullying.

His classmate Jason Kohler recalled Crooks’ distinctive hunting attire, a stark reminder of his isolation. "He was known for wearing hunting outfits to class," Kohler was quoted as saying in an NBC TV report. Crooks' political affiliations painted a picture of a conflicted young man. Despite a donation to the liberal ActBlue on President Joe Biden’s Inauguration Day in 2021, Crooks registered as a Republican when he turned 18. Former classmates expressed surprise at his political leanings. "He didn’t seem like really weird or anything. I would have pegged him as a Republican," one classmate told a TV channel. Sarah D’Angelo, a Bethel Park High graduate, said: "He never outwardly spoke about his political views or how much he hated Trump or anything."On the night of the rally, Crooks, dressed in gray, scaled the roof of a nearby manufacturing plant, armed with an AK-style rifle obtained by his father. The ensuing chaos saw former volunteer fire chief Corey Comperatore, 50, lose his life, and Trump narrowly escaping with a grazed ear. Two other attendees were critically wounded before Crooks was fatally shot by the Secret Service.D’Angelo said Crooks had few friends, and was often seen playing video games during homeroom. Despite not appearing in the 2022 yearbook, Crooks received a $500 National Math and Science Initiative Star Award. The investigation into Crooks’ motives revealed explosive devices in his car, parked near the rally site. Authorities, however, remain tight-lipped about his reasons for the attack. Crooks’ father, Matthew Crooks, expressed his bewilderment, saying he needed to figure out "what the hell is going