Supporters hold flags and portraits of Donald Trump in California after Trump was shot – Photo: REUTERS

The suspect who shot Mr. Trump was identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old man living in Bethel Park district (Pennsylvania state).

The man fired at least eight shots at former US President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Trump was safe and Crooks died at the scene. Investigation efforts are underway.

Police went to the roof to meet the suspect before the 20-year-old gunman shot Mr. Trump

According to the AP on July 15, law enforcement actually noticed Crooks because they noticed him acting strangely outside the campaign event. They searched everywhere for Crooks but couldn’t find him, so the suspect was able to go to the roof and then open fire.

Specifically, some campaign participants reported to local police that Crooks was behaving suspiciously, and approaching the magnetometer. They also later saw Crooks climbing a ladder but could not find it.

Even according to Butler (Pennsylvania) Police Chief Michael Slupe told AP, a police officer climbed onto the roof and encountered Crooks. However, nothing unusual happened, and Crooks opened fire after the police officer had just returned.

Crooks was shot dead by the US Secret Service at the scene, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the incident as a domestic terrorist attack.

According to the FBI, Crooks had bomb-making materials in the car he drove to the scene. The FBI also believes he acted alone, without accomplices.

Investigators have searched the suspect’s social media accounts and found no signs of violence or threatening comments, making it difficult to determine a motive for the crime.

Thomas Crooks in his high school yearbook photo in 2020 – Photo: REUTERS

Over the past two days, the press and investigators have also met with Crooks’ relatives and friends, but have not gathered any suspicious signals.

Crooks’ former high school classmates described the suspect as a loner who was bullied at school but not particularly bad. They were mostly shocked and could not understand why he would shoot Trump.

The suspect’s father, Matthew Crooks, also said he was trying to figure out “what the hell is going on.” He declined to talk about his son until he had spoken to law enforcement. An FBI official said the suspect’s family was cooperating with the investigation.

Overall, there has not been much information made public about Crooks’ motives, nor have any suspicious details been mentioned in the press.

Even the Trump shooter’s political leanings are unclear. Crooks is registered as a Republican in Pennsylvania, but federal campaign finance reports show he donated $15 to a nonprofit fundraising organization on January 20, 2021, the day Democratic President Joe Biden was sworn in.