Thomas Matthew Crooks’ parents contacted law enforcement on Saturday, hours before he opened fire on former President Trump at a Pennsylvania campaign rally, a source told Fox News. Crooks’ mother and father informed local police that their son was missing and that they were concerned about his welfare. It remains unclear if they knew he was in possession of an AR-15 rifle that belonged to his father. The police have not disclosed what actions, if any, they took following this report.
Crooks’ parents are cooperating with FBI investigators as the agency seeks to determine the motive behind the shooting that injured Trump and killed rally attendee Corey Comperatore. While officials have completed a review of Crooks’ phone and social media accounts, the results have not yet been made public.
Matthew and Mary Crooks, both licensed professional counselors in Pennsylvania, have been practicing since 2002 and renewed their licenses as recently as last year. Their son, Thomas Matthew Crooks, graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022 and was shot dead by Secret Service snipers after he began firing at the rally in Butler.
Despite being a registered Republican, Crooks donated to a progressive campaign in 2021. He was also a member of a local gun club along with his father, who is a registered Libertarian. Crooks recently earned an associate degree in engineering science from Allegheny County Community College and had planned to attend Robert Morris University in the fall. He had also been accepted to the University of Pittsburgh but chose not to attend. At the time of the shooting, Crooks was working as a dietary aide at a local nursing home and had requested Saturday off, citing that he had “something to do,” according to CNN.
The update in the investigation is unfortunately causes more questions than gives answers as to the details leading up to the attempted assassination of former President Trump.