Who was Thomas Crooks, the young man who shot at Donald Trump?

The Federal Bureau of Investigations has announced that the man who shot at Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, is 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. Crooks had no identification on him, and his identity was determined through DNA testing, according to the BBC.

Thomas Crooks lived with his parents in Bethel Park, a suburb of Pittsburgh, approximately 70 kilometers from the scene of the assassination attempt. He graduated high school in 2022, earning a $500 award for his achievements in mathematics and natural sciences, as reported by a local newspaper. After high school, Crooks worked nearby in a nursing home’s kitchen.

As U.S. media has determined, the young man who attempted to assassinate the Republican candidate Trump was officially registered as a supporter of the Republican Party. However, three years ago, he donated $15 to the Democratic Party-affiliated organization ActBlue.

According to American media, at the time of the shooting, Crooks was wearing a shirt branded with Demolition Ranch, a YouTube channel with millions of subscribers that publishes videos on firearms and explosives. Law enforcement has found that the gun Crooks used during the shooting was legally purchased by his father more than six months prior, as reported by the Associated Press, citing anonymous sources.

“At this time, we have not determined what his motive was,” FBI Pittsburgh office chief Kevin Rozeck said at a press briefing on Saturday. He added that the investigation could take several months, and investigators will make every effort to clarify what led Crooks to shoot at Trump.

Thomas's father, Matthew Crooks, told CNN in an interview that he absolutely can’t imagine what happened and that he needs to speak with law enforcement before talking to the press about his son. After the assassination attempt, police cordoned off the Crooks’ home on Sunday night and evacuated all neighbors urgently. Local police explained that this was due to the discovery of explosive devices found in the house.