Bethel Park, Pennsylvania – Experts on extremism and terrorism say the attempt by suspect Thomas Matthew Crooks to assassinate former President Trump was not politically motivated and that the 20-year-old was likely “acting out a fantasy” and looking for a target that would bring him “attention and fame”.
Jutte Clausen, a political science professor at Brandeis University, has studied terrorist networks and violent extremism for two decades, developing methodologies to examine perpetrators’ forensic biographies and radicalization trajectories.
She is currently writing a book called “How to Be a Terrorist.” We take a closer look at incels, homegrown Muslims, neo-Nazis, and other groups.
“He wanted to make a name for himself, he wanted to leave a mark,” Clausen speculated about Crooks, who attacked a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. “His search history doesn’t suggest he was particularly politically motivated. I don’t get the impression he was trying to influence the election.”
Trump shooter Thomas Crooks’ high school corrects ‘misunderstanding’, says Crooks was not in a rifle unit
Undated photograph of Thomas Matthew Crookes. (Courtesy of AFP)
“He was basically looking for a target that would bring him attention and fame, so I would say he was playing out the fantasy that he was this big shot, proving himself to the world and getting attention,” she continued.
Clausen said there appeared to be “no organizational element” to Crooks’ actions because he did not leave a written statement – a pattern more commonly seen in school shooters than politically motivated terrorists.
“The lack of a manifesto is typical of school shooters, but they often ‘leak’ information about their intentions before taking action,” Clausen said.
The man who tried to assassinate President Trump used a gaming website that featured a presidential assassination game
Jutte Clausen, a professor of political science at Brandeis University, has received three awards from the National Institute of Justice for her research on terrorism, specifically jihadist networks. (Brandeis University)
Senators were told on Wednesday that Crooks had written a chilling message on gaming platform Steam: “My debut will be on July 13th. Watch as it unfolds.”
Clausen noted that no one knows whether Crooks “thought he would survive” after he fired a volley of bullets at the former president on July 13, cutting his ear, wounding two bystanders and killing firefighter Corey Comperatore.
“One of the interesting things about this type of shooter is that they are extremely rational in planning the scenario, but extremely irrational about the outcome,” Clausen said. “Maybe he thought he could get away and do it again. Maybe he had the illusion that people were looking for him everywhere.”
Florida man arrested for allegedly writing death threats against Trump and Vance days after assassination attempt
A home believed to be associated with Thomas Matthew Crooks on Monday, July 15, 2024, in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Jean J. Puskar)
“It’s interesting that a criminal developed the bomb because it’s the weapon of choice for people who don’t want to die and who want to attack,” she said. “A criminal could easily have become a mass murderer. Secret Service snipers stopped that.”
Clausen said there is no typical age range for mass shooters or terrorists, noting that while the Las Vegas shooter, Stephen Paddock, was 64 years old, ” [Crooks’] We know that younger generations have very poor risk assessment skills.”
Clausen said young perpetrators typically have experienced some kind of trauma, and noted some of Crooks’ classmates have said he was bullied in high school. Bethel Park High School denied the allegations in a statement, saying the allegations were a “painful misunderstanding” and that there was no record of such an incident.
Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks’ cause and manner of death revealed
An unidentified person adjusts window blinds inside the home of Thomas Matthew Crooks, Monday, July 15, 2024, in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. (REUTERS/Aaron Jozefczyk)
but, Wall Street Journal report Crooks’ mother was blind and had a tendency to collect objects around the house, meaning his parents were unaware that explosive components had been sent to their home. [Crooks’] family life.”
“I hate to blame the parents here, but having something hazardous delivered to your doorstep doesn’t go unnoticed. The people who live with you would,” Clausen said. “This is a small house.”
Thomas Matthew Crooks is the alleged perpetrator of the attempted assassination of former President Trump on Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Fox News Digital Law Enforcement Source)
There has been question about the extent of Crooks’ involvement in online gaming, with popular gaming platform Steam acknowledging that Crooks had an account on its site and Discord, a messaging platform popular with gamers, saying that Crooks had a less-used account.
Some of his classmates at Bethel Park High School said he had an affinity for computers — one said he would often play games on his laptop during homeroom — and teachers said he built computers, and his online activity suggested he was interested in programming.
Click here to get the FOX News app
“Playing online games and not being able to distinguish between online and real life is a risk factor, not a predictor,” Clausen said. “It’s just one indicator that you should be paying attention.” [to a young person]”
