Trump shooter practiced at shooting range weeks before rally: 'I was sitting next to evil,' witness says

Thomas Matthew Crooks tested his shooting prowess at a western Pennsylvania shooting range just weeks before the attempted assassination of former President Trump last Saturday, according to a report.

Bill Jenkins said he practiced his firearms skills right next to Crooks at the Keystone Shooting Center in Cranberry on June 22, just weeks before the July 13 attack, The Sun reported.

“I was sitting next to evil,” Jenkins told the outlet. “I couldn’t sleep thinking about it.”

Jenkins, who said he was interviewed by the FBI, recalled the professor praising Trump during the session — a glorification that may have contributed to Crooks' determination to carry out the plot.

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Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, reportedly practiced at the range before opening fire at a rally in Pennsylvania, injuring Donald Trump and killing a bystander. (AFP document | Google maps)

“It turns out that the instructor and I are Trump supporters,” he said. “We talked about how great our country was under Trump. Our borders were secure, the economy was strong, we were energy independent, and he was getting things done. I noticed at the time that the kid wasn’t saying anything one way or the other, but I could see him smirking.”

In hindsight, Jenkins believes Crooks was trying to tone down his animosity toward Trump — and that conversation may have helped motivate his attack.

“I wondered if that conversation had pushed him over the edge?” he said. “It scares me a little bit because a person died.”

The 20-year-old, who had planned to pursue an engineering degree in college, displayed advanced skills on the shooting range, punching holes in targets at significant distances, Jenkins told the newspaper.

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Crooks' shocking volley at the Trump rally grazed Trump's ear, fatally struck rally-goer Corey Comperatore and injured two others.

Snipers shot him dead shortly after he launched his attack.

Jenkins, 62, an Air Force veteran, said he was stunned to learn that his training partner had nearly shot down a former president.

“This man killed a man with a wife and children and nearly threw the country into chaos by killing Donald Trump,” he said.

TThe pair's class lasted several hours, with Crooks showing an obvious familiarity and ease with firearms throughout the course, Jenkins noted.

“When we went to the shooting range, he started shooting right away,” he said. “It looked like he had experience with guns.”

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Thomas Matthews Crooks opened fire on former President Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024. (Google maps | Handout | Threads)

Crooks brought his own 9mm pistol to class and was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, the outlet reported.

The long-haired gunman said little but remained polite throughout the exchange, Jenkins recalled.

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After another accurate strike, Jenkins congratulated his younger counterpart.

“I congratulated him on a job well done and he just laughed,” Jenkins said.

Investigators have not yet revealed a motive for the attempted assassination and are continuing to comb through Crooks' background.