Former classmates of Thomas Matthew Crooks are coming forward to tell us more about the gunman who died. As The Talk Lounge previously reported, Crooks was killed after he tried to kill Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, July 13.
RELATED: Suspect Reportedly Identified Following Apparent Attempt To Assassinate Donald Trump At Rally In Pennsylvania
What Thomas Matthew Crooks’ Former Classmates Said About Him
A young man later identified by CBS News as Jason Koehler, who was Crooks’s former high school classmate, was interviewed by NBC News on Sunday, July 14. According to the National Desk, Crooks received his diploma from Bethel Park High School in 2022.
“He was bullied almost every day… I mean, he would sit alone at lunch. I mean, he was just an outcast, and you know how kids are nowadays — so they’re gon see someone like that, and they’re gonna target him because they think it’s funny or whatever… and it’s honestly kind of sad,” Koehler explained. “I don’t want to say this is what provoked it, but you never know.”
The 20-year-old Crooks was described by the classmate as a “loner” and as “quiet.” The young man also underlined how much Crooks was “bullied.”
“He was just made fun of for the way he dressed — his appearance,” Koehler went on to explain.
The classmate explained to the publication that Crooks would arrive at school wearing military or hunting attire.
See what the classmate has to say below.
According to CBS News, the group also had a conversation with Crooks’s former friend Jameson Myers. Myers reportedly noticed that the two were “close” in elementary school before starting high school. To be clear, Crooks was a “caring child who never spoke poorly of anyone,” according to the former classmate.
“I never have thought him capable of anything I’ve seen him do in the last few days,” Myers reportedly told the outlet.
It was also mentioned by the former classmate that Crooks had been a member of the rifle team during his first year of high school.
Another former pupil of Crooks’, Summer Barkley, clarified that his teachers loved him.
“So, you know, that was what was shocking for me — was seeing someone who had been seen as such a good person in class have this outcome, it was just a shock to me,” she told reporters.
What Else That’s Been Shared Concerning The Deceased Gunman
The Talk Lounge had previously reported that Crooks’ identity was revealed on Sunday, July 14. First, it was said that the 20-year-old was a registered Republican based on his voting record. It remained unclear, though, whether he was still employed by the right-wing party given that he allegedly made a financial contribution to a progressive political campaign.
According to CBS News, Crooks’ parents are supporting FBI and Secret Service investigators from their home in Pittsburgh. Nevertheless, it is currently unknown why Crooks chose to act.
The National Desk claims that because Crooks had no prior criminal history, he most likely carried out the shooting alone. Additionally, the outlet said that “bomb-making materials” had been found inside the gunman’s getaway vehicle.
What We Know About The Man Who Lost His Life At The Trump Rally
The outlet claims that Crooks used a “AR-style rifle,” which his father supposedly bought. The 20-year-old is thought to have attacked Trump during his rally from a rooftop 150 meters away from the podium of the former president.
According to CBS News, two victims of the shooting on Saturday are still in critical condition. In addition, The Talk Lounge reports that the 50-year-old father who died at the rally had his identity made public on Sunday, July 14.
At the event, firefighter Corey Comperatore “shielded” his family from bullets.
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“The PA Trump Rally claimed the life of my brother, Corey Comperatore. The hatred for one man took the life of the one man we loved the most. He was a hero that shielded his daughters. His wife and girls just lived through the unthinkable and unimaginable,” Comperatore’s sister, Dawn Comperatore Schafer, reportedly wrote via Facebook, per PEOPLE.
Since then, a GoFundMe page has been established to support Comperatore’s family. The goal of $7,000 has been surpassed by over $900,000 raised thus far.
RELATED: UPDATE: Man Who Lost His Life Is Identified Following Shooting At Donald Trump’s Pennsylvania Rally
