Free Republic

The 20-year-old nursing-home employee from suburban Pittsburgh who tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump was a registered Republican who packed explosives in the vehicle he drove to the campaign rally an hour from his home. Law enforcement officials were working Sunday to learn more about Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, to determine what motivated him to open fire on the rally from a nearby rooftop, killing one spectator, before he was shot dead by the Secret Service. -- SNIP -- Crooks tried out for the school's rifle team but was turned away because he was a bad...

The 20-year-old man who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania Saturday was described by former classmates as a bullied loner with a penchant for hunting outfits and video games. Thomas Matthew Crooks was killed by the Secret Service on Saturday evening after he opened fire at the Butler Farm Show grounds, grazing Trump and killing another attendee. Crooks – who graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022 – was a loner who was “relentlessly” bullied, former classmate Jason Kohler told KDKA. He was known for wearing “‘hunting’” outfits to class, Kohler added. The classmate also...