Crooks’ body was found on the rooftop of an agricultural tool manufacturing plant a few hundred feet from the rally with an AR-style semiautomatic rifle — legally purchased by his father. The shooter was wearing a T-shirt promoting “The Demolition Ranch,”
a YouTube channel for gun enthusiasts.
Jason Kohler,
told reporters Sunday that students tormented Crooks “almost every day” and that he often wore “hunting” outfits to class.
According to federal campaign records, the rally gunman donated $15 to a progressive political action committee in 2021 but he subsequently registered as a Republican, Pennsylvania voter data show.
Max R. Smith recalled taking an American history course with Crooks as a sophomore. He did recall Crooks making political statements — but they shed no light on his actions Saturday.
“He definitely was conservative,” he said. “It makes me wonder why he would carry out an assassination attempt on the conservative candidate.”
Smith recalled a mock debate in which their history professor posed government policy questions and asked students to stand on one side of the classroom or the other to signal their support or opposition for a given proposal.
“The majority of the class were on the liberal side, but Tom, no matter what, always stood his ground on the conservative side,” Smith said. “That’s still the picture I have of him. Just standing alone on one side while the rest of the class was on the other.”
The former classmate also recalled Crooks as generally kind and intelligent, if reserved.
Crooks donated $15 to ActBlue in 2021 but registered GOP in 2023.
