Thomas Matthew Crooks' father was seen in public on Monday for the first time since his son opened fire at former President Donald Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The 20-year-old gunman was killed by snipers after injuring several individuals at the event.
Investigators have been visiting Crooks' family home in suburban Pittsburgh as they work to determine a motive for the shooting. The father, identified by locals, declined to comment and stated that they would release a statement through legal counsel.
Crooks' parents, both licensed professional counselors, had reported him missing to the police hours before the shooting. It is unclear if they were aware that he had possession of his father's AR-15.
Crooks, a recent high school graduate with an associate's degree in engineering, had plans to further his education at Robert Morris University. He managed to evade security at the rally site and climbed onto a building's roof to open fire.
Lawmakers visited the shooting site as the Secret Service Director testified about security failures. Crooks' motive remains unclear, but his online searches indicated an interest in political events and mental health issues.
A former classmate mentioned that Crooks had expressed disdain for politicians and had confronted him about his support for Trump in the past. The investigation is ongoing to understand how Crooks was able to carry out the attack despite security measures in place.
