Who is Thomas Matthew Crooks, the man who attempted to assassinate Trump?

An assassination attempt was made on former US President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania. One person lost their life in the incident, while Trump was wounded in the ear.

Immediately after the assassination attempt, a Secret Service sniper shot and neutralized the attacker.

The FBI announced that the person who fired the weapon in the assassination attempt, which has become the world's top agenda, was 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.

MANY DARK POINTS REGARDING THE ASSASSINATION

Countless uncertainties and dark points remain regarding the assassination attempt.

According to BBC reports; the FBI says the active investigation into the incident is ongoing. US President Joe Biden also stated in his address to the nation that there are still many details they do not know.

NO IDENTIFICATION FOUND ON HIM

Crooks was not carrying identification at the time of the incident. Investigators identified him using his DNA.

Crooks lived in Bethel Park, 70km away from the Butler area in Pennsylvania where the attack took place. He graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022.

According to state voter records, Crooks is a registered Republican.

The news agency Reuters wrote that when Crooks was 17, he made a $15 donation to ActBlue, which raises money for left-leaning and Democratic politicians.

A person at the scene told the BBC that they "saw a person with a rifle on the roof" and tried to report it to the police.

In the footage, a person is seen lying on the ground aiming and then being shot.

BBC Verify examined the footage and confirmed that a person opened fire from the roof of a warehouse less than 200 meters from the platform where Trump was speaking.

It was determined that the sniper shot and killed the attacker immediately after the first shots were fired.

In the footage, armed security forces are seen approaching the person found shot on the roof.

THE WEAPON USED BY THE ATTACKER BELONGED TO HIS FATHER

According to US media, Crooks was wearing a T-shirt from a YouTube channel called Demolition Ranch during the incident. This channel is known for its weapons and destruction content. The channel, which features different types of weapons and explosives, has millions of followers.

Officials conducting the investigation assess that the weapon used in the assassination attempt on Trump belonged to Crooks' father. It is stated that his father bought this weapon at least six months ago.

Officials also told CBS, the BBC's partner in the US, that suspicious devices were found in Crooks' vehicle.

WHY DID CROOKS COMMIT THE ASSASSINATION?

It is not yet known for what purpose Crooks carried out this attempted attack. It is also unclear whether other people were involved in this attempt.

Kevin Rojek, who gave a briefing on behalf of the FBI on Saturday night, announced that no motivation has been determined yet.

Rojek stated that the investigation could take months and that they would work "tirelessly" to define what Crooks' goal was.

Crooks' father, in a statement to CNN, said he would wait until he spoke with authorities to talk about his child and that he was trying to understand what happened.

SCHOOLMATES WHO KNEW CROOKS SPEAK OUT

The information so far about what kind of person Crooks was is confusing and somewhat contradictory.

Thomas Matthew Crooks' high school yearbook photo

Some young people who spoke to a local newspaper called KDKA and went to the same school as Crooks say that he usually hung out alone, was frequently bullied, and sometimes "came to school in hunting clothes."

Another classmate, Summer Barkley, spoke to the BBC and stated that Crooks "always got good grades on exams" and was "very interested in history."

"He was interested in everything related to government and history. But there was nothing unusual, he was always a good person," she added.

Others also remember him as a quiet person who kept to himself.

A former classmate who spoke to the BBC and kept their name secret said, "I don't know anyone who knew him very well."

Jameson Myers from his former school also describes Crooks as a "normal person" and adds that he was not popular: "He was a good person who didn't speak badly of anyone. He didn't seem like someone who could do any of what I saw."

The Clairton Sportsmen's Club, one of the shooting clubs in Pittsburgh, confirmed that Crooks was a member of the club but did not provide further details.

It is also said that the Bethel Park area where Crooks lived is a very quiet, decent neighborhood.