Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, the young man who shot former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally last weekend, was recently remembered by some former classmates as a victim of bullying during his high school years, yet others contend Crooks was never bullied whatsoever.
Julianna Grooms, 19, a former classmate of Crooks at Bethel Park High School, told The New York Times that Crooks was frequently teased and nicknamed “the school shooter.”
“They would tease him about his poor hygiene, his body odor. He was an easy target,” she claimed.
Grooms emphasized that Crooks preferred to avoid attention and kept to himself, a characterization echoed by other classmates who reportedly knew him during his time at the school.
“He didn’t seek any kind of attention, positive or negative,” she said about Crooks.
A video that recently surfaced online further highlighted the debate over whether Crooks was bullied in school. The clip shows Crooks seated at a desk in a classroom while another student tugs at his pant leg and a third student laughs from behind the camera. It is unclear from Crooks’ demeanor if this was just playful bantering or something he viewed as bullying.
Another video from Crook’s high school days, published by TMZ, shows Crooks making jokes with his classmates.
Despite the alleged bullying, some who reportedly knew Crooks well in high school dispute such claims. Former school counselor Jim Knapp, for instance, said he did not recall any instances of Crooks being bullied or being called derogatory nicknames, according to the New York Post.
“Kids weren’t calling him names, kids weren’t bullying him,” said Knapp, per NYP. “Anybody could snap, anybody could have issues. Something triggered that young man and drove him to drive up to Butler yesterday and do what he did.”
Crooks reportedly changed his dress style, moving away from SpongeBob SquarePants shirts in favor of more neutral clothing, occasionally donning camouflage or hunting gear. He also attempted to join the school’s rifle club but was reportedly rejected due to poor marksmanship, according to the New York Post.
On July 15, law enforcement sources said that despite accessing Crooks’ phone, searching his computer and bedroom, reviewing his online search history, and interviewing his family and friends, they have yet to uncover any evidence indicating a political or ideological motive for the shooting, CNN reported.
Officials have also indicated this week that they believe Crooks acted independently and did not plan the assassination attempt with anyone else. Crooks’ parents have also told investigators that he “did not appear to have friends and did not appear to have any political leanings.”
The Secret Service fatally shot Crooks after he fired at Trump and into the crowd gathered at the campaign rally on Saturday. Corey Comperatore, 50, was killed in the shooting, and two other attendees were seriously injured.
Comperatore was a father and former fire chief of the Buffalo Township in Buffalo County, Pennsylvania. He was shot in the head while shielding his daughter and wife with his own body when Crooks began firing.
