BETHEL PARK, Pa. — Through the overnight hours and for much of the day Sunday, police sat outside of the home of the man suspected of opening fire at former President Donald Trump’s rally Saturday.
>>> Trump injured in assassination attempt at rally in Butler; 1 attendee, suspected shooter killed
Neighbors told Channel 11′s Andrew Havranek they’re stunned someone in their community is the person accused.
“This is very shocking to me,” said Cindy Angelo.
Angelo didn’t know who the suspected gunman was until she got home this morning to find roads closed and police all around.
“I really thought there was an accident [and] that’s why the road was blocked off,” Angelo said. “When he [police] told me that I was like, ‘What?!’ I couldn’t even imagine that. I couldn’t imagine that someone living on my street would do that.”
The FBI identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.
>>> What we know about Bethel Park man suspected of attempted assassination at Trump rally in Butler
Angelo’s family showed us a Bethel Park High School yearbook from 2020, which has a photo of Crooks when he was a sophomore. He graduated from Bethel Park in 2022.
“20 years old. What a wasted life,” Angelo said. “For who? For what?”
Despite identifying Crooks as the shooter overnight, the FBI didn’t immediately release much about him.
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According to online records, Crooks didn’t have any criminal history in Pennsylvania.
We did find voter registration records showing Crooks was registered as a Republican voter in Allegheny County.
But, we also found federal campaign finance records showing he donated $15 to the Progressive Turnout Project through ActBlue, a Democratic donation website. That was made in 2021 when he was 17.
“I honestly feel if you feel that strongly about politics, get into politics and make a change,” Angelo said. “That’s the way I feel.”
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Angelo said she feels for those who were hurt, for the former president, and for Crooks’ parents.
“Please don’t blame yourself,” she said. “It was not your fault.”
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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