Who was Thomas Matthew Crooks? First pic of man who shot at Donald Trump is out

Donald Trump assassination attempt: As the investigation progressed into the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the first photo of 20-year-old 'loner' who attempted to assassinate former US President Donald Trump, Thomas Matthew Crooks has been released.

Donald Trump was on stage at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania's Butler before gunshots rang out and Secret Service agents stormed the stage. 

Authorities reported that the shooter fired several shots from a nearby rooftop before being fatally shot by Secret Service agents. Law enforcement officials used the gun to identify the shooter, as he was not carrying any identification.

"The FBI has identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the subject involved in the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on July 13, in Butler, Pennsylvania," the agency said in a statement.

The released photo shows Crooks wearing glasses and smiling into the camera.

Who was Thomas Matthew Crooks?

• The FBI identified the gunman as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.
• Thomas Matthew Crooks, a resident of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was a registered Republican and would have been eligible to vote in his first presidential election on November 5 this year.
• Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022, where he was known as a bright and quiet student.
• His high school counselor described him as "respectful" and someone who mostly "kept to himself," adding that he never considered Crooks to be political.
• Crooks previously worked as a dietary aide at a nursing home.
• Public records reveal that his father is a registered Republican, while his mother is a registered Democrat.
• Crooks fired shots, one of which grazed Trump in the ear at an outdoor rally in Butler.
• Thomas Matthew Cooks was planted on the roof of a manufacturing plant located over 130 yards away from the stage at Butler Farm Show grounds. 
• Crooks' motive behind firing on the presumptive Republican presidential nominee is unclear.
• The presidential campaign rally was in full swing at Butler Farm Show grounds when the Crooks' reportedly set up shop 130 yards from the stage.
• Subsequently, Thomas Matthew Crooks was eliminated by Secret Service snipers who discovered an AR-style weapon nearby. After then, the Secret Service said on social media that Trump had been taken to a nearby hospital without incident. 

The 20-year-old, who was fatally shot by Secret Service agents, was reportedly from Bethel Park, a small hamlet located approximately 40 miles south of the rally site. 

The incident has brought together prominent figures in the US from all parties. US President Joe Biden, who is Trump's opponent, denounced the attack and stated that "there is no place in America for this kind of violence."

- With inputs from agencies

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