Who was Donald Trump’s assassin Thomas Crooks? Where did he source the gun used for shooting?

Donald Trump assassination bid: Hours after the attempt to assassinate former US president Donald Trump on Saturday, the FBI identified the assassin as 20-year-old Thomas Mathew Crooks. 

He was shot and killed at the scene by a Secret Service sniper, reported the BBC.

Reports stated that Thomas Mathew Crooks used his father's gun to shoot Donald Trump.

A resident of Bethel Park in Pennsylvania, Thomas Crook’s neighbours were shocked and unable to understand how a reserved individual like him could attempt an assassination, reported the BBC.

Thomas Matthew Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022. According to reports in the local newspapers, he was a bright student and had received a $500 cash prize for math and science while in school.

His schoolmates labelled him as "socially reserved" and did not recall him ever discussing politics or Trump, but they mentioned that he was often bullied at school.

“He was quiet, but he was just bullied. He was bullied so much,” a student told local US media, reported the NDTV.

The gunman worked at the local nursing home kitchen, a short drive from his home, reported the BBC. According to the US media, Crooks was a registered Republican. The upcoming US elections on November 5, 2024, would have been the first time he voted in a presidential election. The BBC mentioned that he had previously donated $15 to the liberal campaign group ActBlue in 2021.

How did Thomas Matthew Crooks get a gun?

According to a report by AP, law enforcement officials working on the case believed that the rifle used to shoot at Donald Trump was purchased by Crooks' father. Two officers, who did not wish to be named, also mentioned that Crooks' father had purchased a weapon six months back.

Thomas Crooks also had a membership at the Clairton Sportsmen's Club–a local sporting club for a year.