Former high school classmates described the Pennsylvania man accused of trying to assassinate former President Donald Trump as a student with few friends who was frequently bullied.
Sarah D’Angelo, who graduated from Bethel Park High School with suspected gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks in 2022, said her former classmate didn’t share his political opinions and mostly kept to himself in school.
“He never outwardly spoke about his political views or how much he hated Trump or anything,” Ms. D’Angelo told the Wall Street Journal on Sunday.
She said Mr. Crooks, 20, had “a few friends” but “didn’t have a whole friend group” and would spend time playing video games on his laptop in homeroom before classes started.
Another former student, who graduated the year after the suspect and did not share his identity, told media members that Mr. Crooks was a “loner” who was “bullied almost every day.”
The former student said the suspect was picked on by other students because Mr. Crooks often wore hunting gear to school.
Mr. Crooks is accused of opening fire during a Saturday campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Trump escaped the gunfire with a graze wound to his right ear, but 50-year-old rallygoer Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief of Buffalo Township in Pennsylvania, was struck and killed in the shooting.
Two other men are also fighting for their lives after being wounded during the incident.
Secret Service agents shot and killed the gunman seconds after Mr. Trump ducked for cover on the main stage.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.