Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump, has been identified as having appeared briefly in an old advertisement for BlackRock Inc., the company announced on Sunday.
BlackRock, the world's largest asset management firm, confirmed that Crooks appeared in the background of a 2022 advertisement filmed at Bethel Park High School. According to the company, Crooks and other students featured were not compensated for their appearances. Although BlackRock did not disclose the advertisement's content, they have assured that the footage will be made available to authorities and removed from circulation.
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Crooks, a 2022 graduate of Bethel Park High School in Pennsylvania, was among several students who received awards for math and science during his senior year. Despite trying out for the school’s rifle team, he was rejected due to poor shooting skills, as revealed by Frederick Mach, the current captain of the team.
The 20-year-old from Bethel Park had bomb-making materials in his car and used an AR15 semi-automatic gun in the assassination attempt. Investigators are still searching for clues regarding his motives.
Crooks’ political affiliations remain unclear. While he was registered as a Republican voter in Pennsylvania, federal campaign finance reports show he donated $15 to a progressive political action committee on January 20, 2021.
FBI officials scrutinised Crooks' background, including his social media activities, and are working to gain access to his phone. Discord, a social media platform popular with gamers, confirmed that Crooks had an account but had rarely used it in recent months. A spokesperson for Discord stated, "There's no evidence he used his account to promote violence or discuss his political views."
Relatives of Crooks didn’t respond to numerous messages from The Associated Press. His father, Matthew Crooks, told CNN late Saturday that he was trying to figure out “what the hell is going on” but wouldn’t speak about his son until after he talked to law enforcement. An FBI official told reporters that Crooks' family is cooperating with investigators.
Published: 15 Jul 2024, 05:42 pm IST
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