ABC News reports:

Former classmates of the suspected shooter described him to ABC News as a student who was “quiet” and did not have many friends.

“He was somebody who came across as lonely a lot,” said Jameson Myers, who said he attended both elementary and high school with the suspect.

Myers said that Crooks “tended to be more of an interesting one” and described him as “more socially reserved” and someone who “didn’t have a ton of friends.” But he said he never heard Crooks discuss politics or, specifically, Donald Trump.

“I was friends with him- he never acted, like, by any means a political revolutionary,” Myers said, noting he was a fan of “Star Wars” and “was a very nice, even sweet guy from what I knew.”

Myers and another student said that Crooks tried to join the high school’s rifle team but was rejected and asked not to return after a “preseason” session.

“He didn’t just not make the team, he was asked not to come back because how bad of a shot he was, it was considered like, dangerous,” said Myers.

Another member of the team, who asked not to be named, told ABC News that there was a view that Crooks “wasn’t really fit for the rifle team.”

“He also shot terrible,” the team member added. [Continue reading…]

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports:

Max R. Smith recalled taking an American history course with Crooks as a sophomore. He did recall Crooks making political statements — but they shed no light on his actions Saturday.

“He definitely was conservative,” he said. “It makes me wonder why he would carry out an assassination attempt on the conservative candidate.”

Smith recalled a mock debate in which their history professor posed government policy questions and asked students to stand on one side of the classroom or the other to signal their support or opposition for a given proposal.

“The majority of the class were on the liberal side, but Tom, no matter what, always stood his ground on the conservative side,” Smith said. “That’s still the picture I have of him. Just standing alone on one side while the rest of the class was on the other.”

The former classmate also recalled Crooks as generally kind and intelligent, if reserved.

“Everybody is in shock,” Smith said. “He was so quiet, I wouldn’t imagine him doing that. But I guess that was the same deal with Columbine.” [Continue reading…]