'Just can't see him doing that': Classmates discuss Trump shooter

Thomas Crooks didn’t stand out as a popular student but didn’t fit the loser characterization either, some former classmates said.

They remember the man who shot up a Trump campaign rally in Butler as intelligent – enrolled in high-level Advanced Placement classes throughout high school – but quiet and reserved.

“From what I’ve known from him, he’d always come off as, for the most part, a friendly, kind of harmless guy,” said Tristan Radcliffe, 20, of Castle Shannon, who graduated with Crooks from Bethel Park High School and then attended Community College of Allegheny County with him.

When Radcliffe learned his former classmate shot at former President Donald Trump on Saturday – and was killed by the Secret Service seconds later – he was shocked.

“I just cannot see him doing that. I don’t know. Maybe, if I would have gotten to know him more,” Radcliffe said. “It’s crazy.”

Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, was identified early Sunday morning after he shot at Trump during an election rally in Butler County the day before.

His body was found wearing a shirt with the logo of Demolition Ranch which is a YouTube channel for gun enthusiasts with over 11 million subscribers. The channel’s owner, Mark Carricker, said in a video posted on Monday that the channel did not speak about politics.

“I don’t want any violence or hate around me,” Carricker said. “This channel is not about violence. This channel will never be.”

Crooks fired shots from the roof of a building near the rally, killing Corey Comperatore, 50, of Buffalo Township, and wounding two others. Trump later said on social media that a bullet pierced the upper part of his right ear.

Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022. He then attended Community College of Allegheny County, where he earned an associate’s degree with honors in engineering science in May.

He and Radcliffe attended Abraham Lincoln Elementary school in Bethel Park together where they were close friends but drifted as they grew older.

Both men attended CCAC’s South Campus together, although they would only speak on occasion to catch up.

During these encounters Radcliffe said he would often observe that Crooks couldn’t seem to stay still. Other than that, he thought his behavior was normal.

In December, Radcliffe said Crooks told him while on campus, that he was planning to get all of his credits and transfer to Penn State.

Part of Milford Drive, where Crooks lived, was blocked off by law enforcement Sunday morning and continued to have restricted access on Thursday. A police officer was stationed near the home.

Police said they do not know how much longer the Crooks’ house will remain closed to the public, and that the goal is to make the community feel safer.

Crooks worked as a dietary aide at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. He did not have a criminal history, according to public court records. His former guidance counselor, Jim Knapp, saw Crooks at least once a school year and described him as a “get to the point” type of student at Bethel Park High School.

“I remember Thomas as a bright, hands-on type learner, and a quiet kind of student,” Knapp said.

Paige Lewis, 20 of Bethel Park, had the same statistics class in Crooks’ senior year. He was known for doing well on the exams and was in several upper level classes.

“He would do a smirk,” Lewis said when people would call out to him in the hallway.

One of Crooks’ former classmates told several media outlets that Crooks was bullied in high school and viewed as an outcast.

However, Ryan Nebiolo, 20, of Bethel Park, another former classmate, vehemently disagreed with that characterization. While Crooks did not hang out with a large group in high school, Nebiolo said, he was not viewed as a loser. In high school Nebiolo said he never heard anyone talk negatively about Crooks.

“He was a chill dude who decided to do his own thing,” Nebiolo said. “It’s kind of annoying that everyone is going online and (expletive) on this kid.”

Lewis said Crooks never sat alone at lunch and always had the same group of friends.

Nebiolo remembers sitting with Crooks everyday during lunch in 6th grade. He said everyone gave him the nickname “TCrooks.”

As a freshman in high school Crooks tried out for the school’s rifle team but was rejected for poor marksmanship and was a member of the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, a shooting range about 11 miles away from Bethel Park, as reported by The Associated Press.

“The Club is unable to make any additional commentary in relation to this matter in light of pending law enforcement investigations. Obviously, the Club fully admonishes the senseless act of violence that occurred on Saturday,” said Rob S. Bootay III, the gun club’s lawyer.

A 56-year-old neighbor, who asked not to be named for fear of violence, said she has lived near his house for over 30 years and never saw Crooks outside until a month ago, when he started walking around the neighborhood.

“When he was walking down the street he kept his head down,” she said. “You just got bad vibe from him.”

When Crooks was 17 he donated $15 to a group called the Progressive Turnout Project, which attempts to boost Democratic voter turnout. He then later registered as a Republican when he was old enough to vote.

Nebiolo said he does not remember Crooks being particularly political.

Similarly, Knapp said Crooks had no academic or social issues during his time at Bethel Park High School and never expressed any political leanings to him.

“I was surprised,” Lewis said. “He was a smart kid.”

Kaitlyn Hughes contributed to this report.