Thomas Matthew Crooks, who wounded former President Trump before being killed, was apparently a good student, worked at a nursing home and belonged to a gun club.
The 20-year-old shooter who attempted to assassinate former President Trump was a dietary aide at a nursing home, a bright student, and a member of a gun club.
Thomas Matthew Crooks belonged to a shooting club based in Clairton, Pa., nearly nine miles from his family home in Bethel Park. Attorney Robert S. Bootay III confirmed to The Times that Crooks, who was shot and killed by Secret Service agents Saturday, was a member of the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club.
“Obviously, the club fully admonishes the senseless act of violence that occurred yesterday,” said Bootay, who represents the organization, in a statement. “The club also offers its sincerest condolences to the Comperatore family and extends prayers to all of those injured including the former president.”
Bootay declined further comment, citing the pending FBI investigation.
The Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, on 180 acres south of Pittsburgh, bills itself as offering “one of the premier shooting facilities in the tri-state area” and has more than 2,000 members. It offers youth events, archery facilities, safety courses and multiple rifle ranges, including a highpowered-rifle range with targets up to 187 yards away.
BBC News first reported Crooks’ affiliation with the club.
Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh division, said in a news briefing Sunday that Crooks used an AR-style 556 rifle in the shooting that was legally purchased by his father, Matthew Crooks. The elder Crooks is a licensed counselor in Pennsylvania, according to state and federal records.
A local gun shop owner, Bruce Piendl, told Reuters that there are “a ton of gun clubs” in the area around Bethel Park.
