Posted on 07/14/2024 6:11:29 PM PDT by Morgana
Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old would-be assassin who shot Donald Trump, was once rejected from his high school rifle club and considered a danger.
The registered Republican and 2022 high school graduate opened fire at the former president with an AR-style rifle from a roof 130 yards from the rally stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday at 6.15pm.
Now, disturbing anecdotes have emerged from those who knew Crooks dating back to his days at Bethel Park High School.
Crooks tried out for the school's rifle team but was turned away because he was a bad shooter, said Frederick Mach, a current captain of the team who was a few years behind Crooks at the school.
Jonathan Myers, a member of the team around the time Crooks auditioned, said there was something ominous about him back then.
He didn't just not make the team, he was asked not to come back because how bad of a shot he was, it was considered like, dangerous,' Myers told ABC News.
Fellow classmate Jameson Murphy added: 'He tried out…and was such a comically bad shot he was unable to make the team and left after the first day.'
Murphy told the New York Post that Crooks once fired a shot that missed his target by almost 20 feet.
Crooks once fired from the seventh lane — the closest lane to the right wall — and hit the left wall, completely missing every target on the back wall. He missed his target by close to 20 feet, Murphy recalled.
Others who were on the team said Crooks would make inappropriate jokes and overall, didn't seem right.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
If that’s true, then who fired at Trump?
Kid must have practiced. Alot.
Sounds like the patsy!
Per the article, he couldn’t even qualify for his HS rifle team...he was such a bad aim.
Agree.
The hardest part to believe is that the school had a rifle club. I find no evidence but am willing to be corrected.
https://www.bpsd.org/apps/news/article/1942738
Come on man!! They gave him 9 minutes to get himself set up on the roof before Trump started speaking.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old WHITE MALE who shot Donald Trump, registered Republican with an AR-style rifle.
Too many check boxes.
They forgot the red F-250 with MAGA stickers and NRA stickers on it.
A bad shooter ...
IMO, the shooter, whoever he is or was, is or was a total hack. No good at all. A mediocre shooter can get a solid hit on a deer-sized target at 130 yards.
Only a few mm off to the left.
The Meritless Garland almost had hid problem solved.
Only a few mm off to the left.
The Meritless Garland almost had hid problem solved.
But if Trump hadn’t turned his head right at that moment, the first bullet would have been an absolute kill shot?
Like I’ve been saying: 130 yards is not a long shot with a rifle. He doesn’t have to be very good.
We got lucky.
Bet this went over big at the Center.
Whatever the case, he’s picking daisies in hell’s garden now.
.
Dude had a Full size (9 mpg) Van with Arizona plates, and it was filled with Explosives, and the FBi wants you to know - they can’t get into his phone.
Things aren’t adding up. No matter how hard people work to make them fit.
And other people say they would never have imagined him doing anything like this.
Did they ever say what sight was on the AR? open sight, Iron peeps, red dot etc.?
.
He really didn’t miss the shot. Trump was technically hit, and it was Trump’s movement that saved his life.
Now, tell me people shouting - there he is, there he is, he’s got a gun, with Snipers trained on you and a moving target isn’t hard to do.
He even displayed focus and patience by not shooting the people pointing him out repeatedly.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.