By Jerald Jimenez
16 Jul 2024, 12:12 PM EDT
After Thomas Matthew Crooks’ name came to light following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, a recent video was released in which he was harassed and bullied by his high school classmates, following reports that he was constantly being bullied.
In the footage, posted by social media site X, a prankster is seen repeatedly trying to pull at his trousers as he sits at his desk. During the prank, Crooks is seen smiling awkwardly, and repeatedly asking his coworker to stop: “Stop, you’re kidding me.”
According to witness reports, Crooks was known for being a loner and, according to former classmates, suffered “relentless” bullying. He graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022.
A classmate, whose identity he preferred not to reveal, told the New York Post that Crooks did not seem like an outsider: “I would have pegged him as a Republican. He was more of a loner. He probably had a group of friends, but not many.”
Another of Crooks’ high school acquaintances told CBS News Pittsburgh (KDKA) that Trump’s shooter was usually alone and was “bullied relentlessly.” He added that he often went to class dressed in hunting gear.
The FBI has identified Crooks as the gunman who grazed Trump in the ear and killed a rally-goer in Butler, Pennsylvania. The fatality was identified as Corey Comperatore, 50, who was shot while protecting his children.
Meanwhile, the attempted assassin was shot dead by Secret Service agents, who were questioned about their delayed response to the incident.
“The Secret Service is working with all federal, state and local agencies involved to understand what happened, how it happened and how we can prevent such an incident from happening again,” Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said in a statement after it was learned the agency will conduct an independent investigation into the incident.
With information from the New York Post
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