Thomas Crooks researched Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley before opening fire at Donald Trump rally

Warning: This article contains some graphic information and content that may trigger some readers. Discretion is advised.

BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA: Potential Trump assassin Thomas Crooks scrutinized mass high school shooter Ethan Crumbley prior to trying to kill the former president, a source familiar with the situation claims. 

In November 2021, when he was only 15 years old, Ethan Crumbley killed four students and injured seven more at Oxford High School in Michigan. He is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole, Fox News reports.

Thomas Crooks looked up Ethan Crumbley before carrying out the assassination attempt 

According to a source who spoke with Fox News, Crooks researched Crumbley before attempting to kill Trump on July 13 at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. James and Jennifer Crumbley, Ethan's parents, were also found guilty of involuntary manslaughter subsequent to their son's historic conviction. 

The prosecution claimed that before the shooting, the couple had neglected to adequately lock up their house and guns and had not gotten their son the assistance he required. The parents even went to see the administrators at Oxford High School to talk about their son's unsettling drawings that he had done in class the morning of the tragic shooting.

What did Thomas Crooks' other internet search history include?

As The New York Times previously revealed, among Crooks' other internet searches were images of Trump and Biden, the Democratic National Convention (DNC), and "major depressive disorder." Investigators learned of Crooks' search history after cracking his phone, according to the outlet.

What did FBI Director Christopher Wray reveal?

During Wednesday's, July 17, congressional hearing, FBI Director Christopher Wray disclosed the investigators' conclusions. He stated that the FBI had interviewed 200 people and looked through 14,000 photos on Crooks' phone.

Federal investigators are still trying to ascertain the reason behind Crooks' attempt to kill the former president, which resulted in the death of Corey Comperatore, the 50-year-old head of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Department, and the critical injuries of David "Jake" Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74. Right now, their condition is stable but critical.

Internet upset as Thomas Crooks reportedly researched about Ethan Crumbley before shooting Donald Trump

Netizens tried to find out the possible reason why the 20-year-old gunman searched for Crumbley before carrying out the now-failed murder plot on Trump. The former US president narrowly escaped death after a bullet fired by Crooks brushed off his right ear, leaving him bloodied on stage before he was taken to safety by the security forces present at the rally. 

One X user tweeted, "This boy reminds me of the kind of attitude so many WoW players have that ruined the game. He's that guy that griefs lowbies, kills quest or flight point NPCs, and dispell world buffs all day just to ruin people's game time." Another wrote, "Honestly, they both look inbred," referring to Crumbley and Crooks. 

"Sounds like he hoped to get his parents in trouble, too," opined one user while another echoed, "Maybe to know the details of what happened to Crumbley’s parents, who’ve recently been sentenced. He may have wanted to understand what could happen to his own parents afterward."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.