The father of the shooter who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump during his rally last Saturday (July 13) was reportedly profiled by his initial presidential campaign and had a yard sign supporting the former president.
Matthew Brian Crooks, 53, the father of Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was identified by the 2016 Trump campaign as a key swing state voter expected to respond favorably to pro-gun messaging at the time, according to data obtained by the British outlet Channel 4 News. The 2016 Trump campaign's private database analyzed 6.7 million voters from the state of Pennsylvania to determined how they would respond.
The elder Crooks, a registered Libertarian who legally purchased the AR-15 rifle used by his son during the assassination attempt targeting Trump, was identified by the campaign as a strong Republican believed to be a gun owner and "hunter," scoring among the top 20 highest in terms of favorability in his hometown of Bethel Park. The gunman's mother, a registered Democrat, was also believed to be a gun owner and receptive to the pro-gun messaging, according to the campaign data.
The couple's home was also reported to have had pro-Trump and 'Make America Great Again' decor, which included yard signs that remained standing until recently, a neighbor told WPXI.
“There absolutely was MAGA-supporting things for a while,” said neighbor Kelly Little, who told the news network that she was evacuated from her home for 24 hours after authorities removed a device from the Crooks' home.
Trump's right ear was grazed during the shooting and he was seen yelling, "fight, fight, fight" to his supporters while being evacuated from the rally by Secret Service members. One spectator, identified as Corey Comperatore, 50, was killed during the incident while two others, David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, and James Copenhaver, 74, were initially critically wounded but have since been upgraded to stable condition.
Matthew Thoomas Crooks was reportedly on the roof of a manufacturing plant more than 130 yards away from the stage where Trump addressed his supporters in Butler, Pennsylvania, when he took fire at the former president. Secret Service snipers immediately took out Crooks, who was found with an AR-style semi-automatic assault rifle and wearing a shirt for the popular gun YouTube channel Demolition Ranch, after he opened fire.
Crooks is reported to have donated $15 to the liberal ActBlue political action committee on the day of President Joe Biden's inauguration in January 2021, but later registered to vote as a Republican upon turning 18 in September 2021, according to records obtained and shared by the Intercept. Trump is scheduled to accept the Republican presidential nomination during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this week.