BETHEL PARK, Pa. — A quiet Bethel Park neighborhood is now the center of a federal investigation one day after an assassination attempt aimed at former President Donald Trump.
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“You never expect anything like that. Never in a million years. It’s not that kind of neighborhood,” said neighbor Stanley Priselac. “[I] got up this morning at about 6:30 and heard he was from Bethel Park. Well, you don’t think it’s going to be your backyard or your neighborhood.”
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Priselac couldn’t believe the news that 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, who lives just down the street, is the alleged gunman who aimed at the former president during his campaign rally in Butler on Saturday.
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“We found out that he was just down the street, three houses in, and that was a shock to us, a surprising shock. This is not that kind of neighborhood. It’s a quiet little neighborhood,” Priselac said.
According to the FBI, the gun found next to Crooks’ body was an AR-style rifle, apparently purchased by Crooks’ dad.
Investigators are still looking into how he got his hands on the weapon and if he had extensive practice using it at a gun range.
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The FBI tells us the Crooks family is cooperating with their investigation.
Neighbors feel for them.
“Please don’t blame yourself. It was not your fault,” said neighbor Cindy Angelo.
The rifle, along with Crooks’ phone and other devices are being analyzed by agents in Quantico, VA.
Authorities said there were some concerning devices discovered by the bomb squad in Crooks’ car as well as his Bethel Park home but they are still being looked into.
Channel 11 has learned that Crooks was a 2022 Bethel Park High School graduate employed at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehab.
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In a statement to Channel 11, the facility’s administrator Marcie Grimm said, “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. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement officials at this time.”
Federal agents are still combing through Crooks’ social media accounts and trying to get access to his phone.
They’re also looking into his day-to-day activities.
Right now, they say it does not appear that Crooks had prior mental health concerns.
The FBI is asking the public for help in this investigation. If you were at the rally and have any videos or saw anything that led to this shooting, you’re asked to give them a call at 1-800-CALL-FBI or leave a tip at FBI.gov/butler.
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