Trump's Attacker 'Bullied at School', Loved Video Games, Reveals Former Classmate

Pennsylvania: Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, the man identified as the suspected shooter who attacked former US president Donald Trump during an election rally was described as 
"bullied loner" by his former classmates.

Jason Kohler, who claimed to have attended school with Crooks, told reporters, "He was quiet but he was just bullied. He was bullied so much."

The 20-year-old had a fondness for "hunting"  outfits and video games. He was a "quiet" student who often came across as lonely and "socially reserved," the classmates added.

Thomas graduated in 2022 from Bethel Park High School, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He received a $500 "star award" from the National Math and Science Initiative, according to the newspaper.

A video showing his graduation ceremony was posted on X. The video shows Crooks with glasses in a black graduation gown and posing with a school official. However, the authenticity of the video could not be verified.

Crooks was shot seconds after he opened multiple fires at the Butler Farm Show grounds during Trump's rally by the Secret Service on Saturday evening. In this attack, Trump and two others were injured while another attendee was killed.

The FBI said it is working to determine a motive for the attack.

State voter records show that Crooks was a registered Republican. The upcoming Nov. 5 election would have been the first time Crooks had been old enough to vote in a presidential race.

Crooks lived about an hour away from where the shooting took place in Butler. The Federal Aviation Administration said on Sunday that it closed the airspace over Bethel Park for “special security reasons.”

Amidst the incident, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee took his social media platform and said, “I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong when I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening.”

(Inputs from agencies)