The world is studying more about Thomas Matthew Crooks —and we get extra insights from his former friends and even a coach, who says he was sensible… but remarkably lonely.
TMZ spoke to some of Crooks’ former Bethel Park High School classmates — who were in his graduating class — and all of them, who asked to remain anonymous, told us they knew him as a loner, but not as someone prone to violence.
We were told that Crooks was seen as quiet and reserved at school…apart from during lunch, when we were told he usually sat and ate alone.
FEBRUARY 2020
TMZ.com
These classmates tell us that he was definitely not a well-liked child—but that he was well-mannered and soft-spoken, and extremely vibrant, having attended AP classes for advanced learners.
The one factor that none of the former BPHS colleagues can recall witnessing is the reported bullying that Thomas was apparently subjected to while in school. While some footage has surfaced supporting the notion that he was singled out, these 2 students inform us that they never noticed it.
Also, it’s important to remember that… we’re told that these students didn’t see much of Crooks for the better part of two years — when COVID hit in 2020, they were largely away… only getting the chance to return to school in late 2021, when everyone was graduating.
In both methods, each student says they were shocked to hear that Crooks attempted murder. Donald Trumpas a result of which they never noticed any warning signs.
Another fascinating one that made it clear that Crooks was Xavier Harmon — who was the man’s trainer from 2019 to 2020 at Metal Heart for Profession and Technical Schooling in Jefferson Hills, PA… another establishment Crooks attended as a teenager.
Mr. Harmon told TMZ that he never noticed any signs of aggression or hostility from his student — and while he acknowledged he was a bit of a lone wolf/black sheep… he didn’t have any enemies that he knew of, noting that the child was quite talented with computer technology.
He also says he never heard Thomas discuss politics at school, nor did he hear anything about guns — although it is clear he was curious about it exterior of the college.
Harmon says he never noticed Thomas being bullied, and had no reason to assume he would do anything like that. As a result of his small, slight frame, Harmon says he jokingly nicknamed him “Muscle.”
07/13/24
TMZ.com
Leaving aside the memories of his teammates and coaches… the fact is that Crooks did attempted assassination of Trump last weekend — taking pictures of him from a rooftop during the rally in Butler, PA — nearly missing him but killing the firefighter Corey Comparatorwho was in the middle of the crowd.
After all, other colleagues painted a single image of Crooks as a smug know-it-all and a Trump hater.
It’s clear that he had varying levels of interaction with different college students and others outside of college… which explains the disparate descriptions of the then-teenager.
Investigators have yet to uncover Crooks’ motives for trying to overthrow the former president.