He was interested in chess and coding, played video games, and recently received an associate degree in engineering science. High school classmates remembered him as an intelligent student who was “quiet” and “lonely”, but who never exhibited glaring red flags. The nursing home where he had a job helping with meals said his work gave its staff no reason for “concern.”
And in an era when other people his age put troves of personal information online, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, left few clues about who he was, what he believed, or why he decided to drive to a Trump rally in Pennsylvania and try to assassinate the former president.
Many details of Crooks’ life and motives were still unclear. Authorities said he had no apparent history of mental health issues, and had not been on law enforcement’s radar.Investigators were scouring his online presence and working to gain access to his phone, but had not found indications of strongly held political beliefs.
A clue emerged Sunday as to how Crooks may have trained in the use of firearms. Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, a wooded facility south of Pittsburgh that features a 200-yardrifle range, confirmed Crooks had been a member.
(Inputs from NYT & AFP)