Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper during his failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump last Saturday, was reportedly diagnosed with major depressive disorder prior to his death.
It was also reported that Thomas Matthew Crooks foreshadowed his attack, which claimed the life Trump supporter Corey Comperatore and injured two others in addition to piercing the former president’s right ear, on the popular video game storefront and platform Steam.
A senior congressional source reportedly told NewsNation the 20-year-old attempted assassin was at some point given a “major depressive disorder diagnosis,” but the outlet did not report when this diagnosis was given.
The National Institutes for Health explains major depressive disorder “is diagnosed when an individual has a persistently low or depressed mood, anhedonia or decreased interest in pleasurable activities, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, lack of energy, poor concentration, appetite changes, psychomotor retardation or agitation, sleep disturbances, or suicidal thoughts.”
It is unclear which symptoms Thomas Matthew Crooks experienced prior to his deadly attack.
Both of his parents, Matthew Crooks and Mary Crooks, appear to be mental health counselors who are licensed with Pennsylvania, according to records reviewed by The Pennsylvania Daily Star.
The NewsNation article was published after the Secret Service held a conference call with members of Congress, including a number of U.S. senators who were prohibited from questioning the federal agency.
While the source of the information about Crooks’ diagnosis remains unclear, Fox News pointed to the Secret Service conference with senators as the source of the information about Thomas Matthew Crooks’ account on Steam.
“July 13 will be my premiere, watch as it unfolds,” Thomas Matthew Crooks reportedly wrote on the gaming platform, which is used to purchase and download video games on personal computers.
It is unclear where Thomas Matthew Crooks reportedly left the message within his Steam account, but its users are also able to create profiles and connect with other users.
The Star has been unable to locate any close friends or associates of Thomas Matthew Crooks, but the would-be assassin reportedly kept a second cell phone that contained only 27 contacts in his home.
Neighbors described the Crooks family as quiet and detached to The Star, but at least one neighbor remembered seeing the would-be assassin walking along the street.
Yearbook photos suggest a sharp contrast between Thomas Matthew Crooks and his sister, who was involved in extracurricular activities and honored by Bethel Park High School.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, by comparison, apparently missed his school’s photo day during both his junior and senior years at the school.
The attempted assassin reportedly failed to qualify for the high school’s rifle team, being deemed too dangerous to hold a weapon, and one classmate claiming to The New York Post he“was such a comically bad shot, he was unable to make the team and left after the first day.”
Thomas Matthew Crooks did not appear in any photos from other school clubs or extracurricular events in the yearbooks reviewed by The Star, nor was he depicted at any school trips or functions.
The U.S. Secret Service has faced enormous scrutiny in the aftermath of the assassination attempt, with U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) leading a collection of colleagues in a Wednesday confrontation with Director Kim Cheatle after they were reportedly prohibited from questioning the agency on an earlier call.
Cheatle has thus far accepted responsibility for the attempted assassination but insisted she will not leave her position.
Since then, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA-04) confirmed he will publicly demand Cheatle’s resignation.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to pappert.tom@proton.me.
