Former President Donald Trump was shocked and attacked during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, which sent shockwaves through communities in both Pennsylvania and across the United States.
The FBI has confirmed that the shooter who attacked former President Trump is 20-year-old Pennsylvania white youth Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was shot dead on the scene by Secret Service agents.
The day after the shooting, some high school classmates and teachers of the shooter Crooks told reporters that they were shocked and described Crooks as “quiet” and “reserved,” and someone who “often kept to himself.” Residents of Crooks’ community also expressed to reporters that the shooting had disturbed their peaceful and beautiful neighborhood.
Jason Mackey, a substitute math teacher at Bethel Park High School where shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks attended, told the Epoch Times that “this kid was more quiet. He usually kept to himself.”
Mackey recalled that Crooks was a senior student at the school and that he may have seen him during classes or other school activities.
Mackey also mentioned that Crooks had won an award in mathematics, saying, “I heard he won a math award, it was a competition in high school.”
Mackey stated that Crooks’ act of stabbing former President Trump was unimaginable, saying, “It’s shocking that something like this happened. No one could have predicted this, especially happening in our own community. It’s truly something that I think nobody would have foreseen and something that nobody could have imagined someone doing.”
On the second day after the shooting, Crooks’ high school classmate Amtamas Kubilius told the Epoch Times that some of his peers were “very shocked” by Crooks’ attack on Trump. Kubilius, who graduated high school in 2021, attended Bethel Park High School with Crooks but was a year ahead.
“I’ve talked to some people, and they are all shocked. They are surprised that this happened because it was really unexpected. He seemed like a good kid, he did well in school. It seemed random.”
Kubilius mentioned that he had only seen Crooks at school and didn’t know him well. “But I noticed he was bullied at school. He was a quiet kid, somewhat smart. He was bullied on the bus. He tried to distance himself from the teachers.”
Kubilius believed that shooters “often face some difficult times at the beginning. They are either bullied or have parents who are poor, such as a difficult life.”
Amanda Lovas, another high school classmate of Crooks, expressed to the Epoch Times, “It was really unexpected. I didn’t think he would do something like that.”
Lovas mentioned seeing Crooks often while waiting for the bus at the station but didn’t find anything peculiar or isolated about him. “It was totally unexpected.”
Stanley Priselac, a resident of Crooks’ community in Bethel Park, told the Epoch Times that the shooting had disrupted the peace and beauty of their community.
“You can see, it’s very quiet here on Sunday mornings. However, it’s shocking and surprising that something like this happened so close to where you live. You want this place to be known for good things, not for such terrible things.”
Priselac noted that before the shooting, the community was peaceful as usual with no signs of trouble. “This is a quiet community, you don’t see that kind of thing here. Everyone goes about their lives, goes to work, goes shopping, in and out. There are no abnormal situations in this community. It’s a very quiet and beautiful community.”
Priselac mentioned that opinions on former President Trump varied among residents of his community, with some supporting and some opposing. Priselac himself remained neutral.
Alex, a university student in Pittsburgh from Minnesota, arrived at Bethel Park community the day after the shooting to express his support for former President Trump. He told the Epoch Times that he came here because Trump was shot yesterday.
Alex said he had been standing with a “MAGA (Make America Great Again)” sign for over an hour, despite most passersby ignoring him. He supported Trump because he liked the strength Trump showed, “I think as a president, you need to show strength because if you want peace, you have to show strength, right?”
“I think Trump is more powerful for his age. Make America great again; Trump is invincible.”
Alex believed that inflation rates during Trump’s administration were much lower than they are currently, saying, “The current inflation is crazy. I support Trump’s isolationist views, I think globalism will gradually slow down this century.”
“So, Make America Great Again. I believe Trump can better prepare us for the end of globalization and take an isolationist approach.”