The man who shot at former President Donald Trump last Saturday excelled in college and appeared to have a promising future, his former teacher said.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was a thoughtful and polite student at Pittsburgh’s Community College of Allegheny County, from which he graduated in May with an associate’s degree in engineering.
Prior to Saturday’s attempted assassination, Crooks had planned to continue his education at nearby Robert Morris University.
One of his former teachers, who declined to be identified, was so stunned after the shooting that she reviewed his homework assignments and noted that he had gone “above and beyond” as a student.
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She recalled a project that Crooks completed on a chess set for blind players.
.”He 3D-printed it. He put the Braille on it,” the educator said. “He talked to experts in the field. He really took a lot of care.”
Crooks was shot dead by snipers after firing a volley of shots at Trump’s Butler, Pennsylvania, rally. The bullets grazed the former president’s ear and killed former firefighter Corey Comperatore.
Another employee said that Crooks, of Bethel Park, seemed focused on pursuing a career in engineering, and that his murderous descent shocked him.
“It’s just very, very, very unexpected,” the employee said.
Classmate Samuel Strotman, who was in online courses with Crooks, said he was all but mute during lectures and had his camera turned off during lessons.
Crooks, who classmates said was bullied in high school over his appearance, worked as a dietary aide at a local nursing home. Administrators there said he performed his duties without incident.
One peer at Bethel Park High School said Crooks was an avid gamer who enjoyed building computers.
School counselor Jim Knapp recalled seeing Crooks sitting alone during lunch. He would occasionally check on the isolated boy, but he would tell him he was content by himself.
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Classmate Max Rich told Fox News Digital that he was a “quiet” kid.
“He had his friend group and that’s all he talked to,” he said. “A couple of guys. I was just shocked. I didn’t really think something like that could happen from someone I knew.”
While Crooks was a registered Republican, his father was a registered Libertarian, and his mother lined up as a Democrat, according to records.
Investigators have yet to pinpoint a motive for the assassination attempt.
Reuters contributed to this report.
