CBS News dove into the double life of Thomas Crooks, the man who targeted then-candidate Donald Trump at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024. Scott MacFarlane has more.

Butler

Thomas Crooks, a 20-year-old engineering student with no prior record of political radicalization or violence, was identified as the individual who targeted then-candidate Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Former teachers and acquaintances described Crooks as a promising student with a bright future, making his actions unexpected to those who knew him.

CBS News uncovered evidence that, in the months leading up to the attack, Crooks maintained a double life. While applying to transfer to a four-year engineering program, he also ordered explosive chemicals, researched firearms and tactical gear, and practiced with an AR-15 rifle. Crooks was ultimately killed by a Secret Service sniper after shooting and wounding Trump, killing a volunteer firefighter, and injuring two others. The motive behind his actions remains unclear, leaving those close to him searching for answers.

How Thomas Crooks prepared before Trump assassination attempt

Thomas Crooks was just 20 years old with no history of political radicalization or violence. Thomas Crooks. An engineering student who impressed his teachers with big plans for his future, according to his former professor Patricia Thompson. I thought he was a star student. He had his head on straight and he was on a path for success. But when Crooks' path changed. Right here, right on the road. He's got a gun! Shooting and wounding President Trump. Killing volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore. And injuring two more at a campaign rally near Pittsburgh. Crooks was killed by a Secret Service sniper. Did you think it can't be him? Definitely. This is my audience for the persuasion speech. In the months before the incident, he was seemingly leading two lives. CBS News uncovered emails showing last year Crooks was applying to transfer to a four-year engineering program, while at the same time, designing a bomb. In between emails about school, Crooks ordered a chemical compound called nitromethane, which is flammable and explosive. He followed up when the shipment was late. He perused websites about firearms, tactical gear, ammunition. And then on December 6, 2023, internet logs show Crooks scanning a webpage about Trump. And one minute later, reading about AR-15s, the same weapon he took to target practice at a nearby shooting range, before using one in the Butler attack. We showed Thompson, who was interviewed about Crooks by the FBI, what we found. I don't know why he would be so positive with his schoolwork and so dedicated to that, and then working on something destructive. Six months before the shooting, he was increasingly using encrypted email and internet, invisible online even to his friends. Freshman year, 2019. Is that more how you remember him? Yeah. Tristan Radcliffe, who was also interviewed by investigators, says images of Crooks from that day in July show a physical transformation. When I would see him from elementary school to when I last seen him at college, he would always have tight denim jeans, glasses, short hair. And then just to see him like that, oh my goodness. And then this was his final presentation. Thompson, who taught Crooks in 2023, compiled an exhaustive archive of Crooks' schoolwork, searching for clues. Did you find it hard to open this back up? Oh yeah. And the mystery over why he did it haunts those close to Crooks. It's tragic, you know, he did kill somebody, and that's just unforgivable.

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