A man remembered as a relatively quiet student from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, shocked the community with his involvement in the attempted assassination of a former president.

Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was identified as the alleged gunman at former President Donald Trump's Saturday rally, leaving former classmates and residents in disbelief and concerned about their town’s reputation, as Fox News reports.

A Quiet Student's Unthinkable Act

The small, close-knit community of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, has been thrown into turmoil after news broke about Crooks' involvement in the weekend's violence.

A former student of Bethel Park High School, Crooks was known by his peers as a quiet and kind individual who was part of a small friend group.

Sarah D'Angelo, a nursing student and one of Crooks’ former classmates, expressed her shock at the news. Describing Crooks, she noted that he was not very outgoing and never expressed political views openly during their time in high school.

"Maybe other people in the school that I thought would probably be more capable of such a thing, and he's definitely not one of them, I would think," said D'Angelo. "But it's also because he didn't talk to a lot of people. So, you don't really know what's going on inside his head."

High School Memories and Surprise

Crooks, who graduated with honors, earned a silver cord for maintaining a GPA of 3.85 or higher. D'Angelo remembered him as a good student who participated in discussions and was kind to those around him.

During their school's graduation ceremony, D'Angelo recalled Crooks sitting just a few seats away from her. She recalled their final interaction, commenting on the day and the length of the ceremony.

Despite sharing an American politics class with Crooks, D'Angelo was surprised that he never made his political views known. "We had [an] American politics class. It was half a year during senior year. And he never made any of his political views outward," she recounted.

Community in Shock

The news of Crooks’ involvement in such a tragic event has left many in Bethel Park bewildered. "It's shocking to hear someone from your high school, that you knew, would do something as tragic as that," said D'Angelo.

Initially, D'Angelo thought the perpetrator might have been someone related to Crooks due to the unfamiliar use of his full name. "I honestly originally thought it was a relative because I heard Thomas, and he never went by that. He went by Tom or Tommy," she mentioned.

The revelation has been hard for the community to digest. "It's sad, and I was so nauseous on Sunday hearing about it because you don't think something like that would happen so close," added D'Angelo. She emphasized the close-knit and family-oriented nature of Bethel Park.

Bethel Park’s Response

As the news continued to spread, residents of Bethel Park expressed their desire to move past the incident and focus on their strong community ties. "This is a community, a close community that is family-oriented. We're good American citizens, and Bethel High School is really close," D'Angelo shared.

The community has been left grappling with the incident's implications and its impact on their town's reputation. "This experience just did not seem to add up to happen in Bethel Park. Our hearts go out to the families that were affected in this," D'Angelo continued.

While the investigation into the incident is ongoing, Bethel Park residents are seeking ways to support each other and rebuild their community’s spirit.

Conclusion

In sum, the involvement of Thomas Matthew Crooks in an attempted assassination at a Trump rally has shocked the close-knit community of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.

Known to be a quiet and academically successful individual, Crooks' actions have left former classmates and residents grappling with disbelief and concern for their town's reputation.

Former classmate Sarah D'Angelo shared her memories and reactions, highlighting the community's strong desire to move forward while sending their sympathies to the affected families.