He went ‘above and beyond’ on his assignments, the instructor said
The man who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump last Saturday, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was described by his former teacher as an intelligent and polite student with a promising future.
Secret Service Sniper “One-in-a-Million” Shot Stops Attempted Assassination of Trump
Crooks, a recent graduate of Pittsburgh’s Community College of Allegheny County, earned an associate’s degree in engineering in May and had plans to continue his education at Robert Morris University.
A former teacher, who wished to remain anonymous, was taken aback by the news of the shooting and reviewed Crooks’ past assignments, noting his exceptional dedication. She specifically remembered a project where Crooks designed a chess set for blind players. “He 3D-printed it. He put the Braille on it,” she recalled. “He talked to experts in the field. He took a lot of care.”
Crooks was killed by snipers after he fired shots at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The bullets grazed Trump’s ear and killed former firefighter Corey Comperatore.
An employee who knew Crooks mentioned his focus on an engineering career and expressed shock at his violent turn. “It’s just very, very, very unexpected,” the employee said.
Classmate Samuel Strotman, who attended online courses with Crooks, described him as quiet and often keeping his camera off during lessons.
Crooks, who had been bullied in high school over his appearance, worked as a dietary aide at a local nursing home, where administrators noted he performed his duties without incident. He was also known as an avid gamer who enjoyed building computers.
School counselor Jim Knapp remembered Crooks sitting alone during lunch but reported that Crooks claimed to be content by himself. Classmate Max Rich described him as a “quiet” kid who only interacted with a small group of friends. “I was just shocked. I didn’t think something like that could happen to someone I knew,” Rich said.
Crooks came from a politically diverse family: his father was a registered Libertarian, while his mother was a Democrat. Despite this, investigators have yet to determine a motive for the assassination attempt.
As the investigation continues, those who knew Crooks struggle to reconcile the promising young student they remember with the man who committed such a violent act.