Thomas Matthew Crooks’ teacher sheds light on student life

Details around Thomas Matthew Crooksthe man who shot the former president Donald Trumpcontinue to emerge as the investigation into a possible motive progresses.

The 20-year-old showed up at Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 13, and fired six to eight shots from an AR-style rifle that Crooks’ father purchased legally.

Over the past week, several former classmates of the 20-year-old have come forward, claiming he was bullied and teased. Now, one of Thomas Matthew Crooks’ former teachers is speaking out.

The young man who shot former President Donald Trump last Saturday appeared to have a bright future, according to his former teacher.

Crooks was known for his thoughtfulness and politeness during his time at the Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh. He graduated in May with an associate degree in engineering. He was all set to continue his studies at Robert Morris University, a stark contrast to the shocking events that unfolded just days later.

One of his former teachers, who asked to remain anonymous, couldn’t believe it after the shooting. To make sense of it all, she looked back at his old homework assignments and was amazed at how Crooks consistently went “above and beyond” in his work, per Fox news.

She fondly recalled an awe-inspiring project he had completed: a chess set designed specifically for blind players. It is difficult to reconcile such a thoughtful and inventive student with the recent tragic events.”

“He 3D printed it. He put Braille on it,” the teacher recalled. “He talked to experts in the field. He really took great care of it.”

Another colleague from Bethel Park described Crooks as someone with a clear and focused ambition for a career in technology.

“It’s just very, very, very unexpected,” the employee said.

These latest comments come after Mr. Knapp, who retired as a guidance counselor two years ago, described Crooks as “a very good student.” He noted that the 20-year-old was enrolled in honors and Advanced Placement classes and consistently demonstrated strong academic performance.

“He never got into trouble,” Mr. Knapp continued, adding that Crooks often chose to sit alone in the cafeteria, since his small group of friends had different lunch times. “He liked being by himself, because that was his human nature,” Mr. Knapp explained.

As the FBI digs into Crooks’ background, those who knew him are beginning to speak out. A former classmate revealed that he went by the disturbing nickname “school shooter,” a moniker that now casts a chilling shadow over his past.

“Those other kids would always say, ‘Hey, look at the shooter at school over there!’” one former student said The New York Times. “They teased him about his poor hygiene, his body odor. He was an easy target.”

Jason Kohler, 21, another former classmate, told CNN that Crooks was often bullied and seemed like a loner. Kohler recalled how Crooks would walk through the school hallways with a vacant stare, detached from the social cliques around him.

“He wasn’t part of the clique, so I think he always had a target on his back,” Kohler noted, suggesting that isolation and bullying may have played a role in last weekend’s events.

Crooks worked at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, a nursing home less than a mile from his family’s home.

“We are shocked and saddened to learn of his involvement, as Thomas Matthew Crooks performed his job without concern and his background check was clean,” Marcie Grimm, the center’s administrator, said in a statement, according to CNN.

A colleague of Crooks said: “It’s hard to watch everything that’s going on online because he was a very, very good person who did something very bad, and I wish I knew why.”