Troubled teen's downward spiral ends in violent Trump rally attack

Thomas Mathew Crooks, who attempted to shoot Donald Trump at an election rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, was himself killed on the spot by a precise shot to the head by U.S. authorities. Apart from injuring the former president in the ear, he killed a 50-year-old supporter of the politician and injured two other people. American media are diligently trying to figure out what motivated him.

The magazine "The New York Times" spoke with the teaching staff of Bethel Park High School, from which Crooks graduated in 2022. Jim Knapp, a career counsellor at the high school, said that the assailant preferred to sit alone during lunches in the cafeteria and stare at his phone rather than join other students. There was no indication from the counsellor that anyone at the school was interested in the reason for these preferences.

19-year-old Julianna Grooms, who attended high school with the would-be assassin, shed more light on the bullying he allegedly faced before the fatal attack at the Trump rally. According to Grooms, Crooks was an "easy target" for bullies due to his wardrobe of baggy jeans and "SpongeBob SquarePants" t-shirts. He was even nicknamed "school shooter" and mocked for poor hygiene and body odour.

The website tmz.com posted a short video showing someone in class pulling him by the trouser leg, despite Crooks asking them to stop. Another person recorded it on their phone. In the comments under the post about this on TMZ's Instagram, one can read statements such as, "Everyone gets bullied [in school - ed. note], it's about how you deal with it... and he couldn't handle his own emotions..." and "Well, he was 20 years old. I don't care. Don't shoot people."

Many people are wondering about Crooks' motives. He was registered as a Republican voter, so targeting Trump was not obvious. As reported by "The Post" on 17 July, American investigators have already unlocked the 20-year-old's phone. They didn't find any explanations about why the young man from the Pittsburgh suburbs attempted to kill the former president. They are looking for further clues on his laptop.

The website www.gunviolencearchive.org collects data on mass shootings in the United States. So far this year, there have already been approximately 300, according to data as of 15 July. This is more than one per day. For this compilation, a mass shooting is defined as an incident in which at least four people, excluding the assailant, have been shot or killed. In the United States, there is no public healthcare, including mental health services. However, there is easy access to firearms.