Air Force Veteran Reveals He Practiced Shooting With Trump’s Would-Be Assassin: 'Next to Real Evil'

Police and other investigative agencies are still trying hard to uncover the motive behind Thomas Matthew Crooks's decision to assassinate Donald Trump. Crooks' former schoolmates and neighbors described him as a man who was quite confused and conflicted. While many details about him are still a mystery, according to recent reports, Crooks practiced shooting at a firing range in the days leading up to the incident. As reported by the Daily Mail, a Pennsylvania gun enthusiast revealed that he went shooting with the 20-year-old not long before the tragic event.

Bill Jenkins, a veteran of the US Air Force, disclosed that the FBI questioned him about Crooks shortly after the assassination attempt. Jenkins had registered for the same handgun course at the Keystone Shooting Center in Cranberry as Crooks. He shared, “I was sitting next to evil. I haven’t been able to sleep thinking about it.” The ex-Air Force personnel added, “This guy killed a man with a wife and kids and almost plunged the country into chaos by killing Donald Trump.” 

Recalling his first meeting with Crooks, Jenkins said, “It was just him, me, and the instructor." As reported by The Sun, he added, "The course went on for three hours and I could see this kid was confident with guns. When we went to the range he started shooting straight away. It seemed like he had experience with weapons... He had a bag with him. We did some classroom stuff and then we got on to the range. I noticed on his target at ten yards he blew a big hole right through the centerpiece. I congratulated him on how good he’d done and he just laughed.” 

But that's not all. The veteran also recalled a political conversation the three of them had on one occasion. “It turns out the instructor and I are Trump supporters. We talked about how our country was good under Trump. Our borders were secure, the economy was strong, we were energy independent and he got things done. I noticed at the time that the kid wasn’t saying anything one way or another but I could see him smirking. He had a little smile." Looking back, the gun enthusiast argued, "I think he was biting his tongue. Nothing we discussed will have sat well with him. It’s crossed my mind — did that conversation help push him over the edge?"

"It freaks me out a little because a person has died," he continued. Revealing how he found out about Crooks, Jenkins said, "It was only when the Pittsburgh field office of the FBI called me on Tuesday, while I was driving, and asked me about the class at Keystone that I found out." Jenkins recounted, "I was sitting next to real evil there, it really scares me. He could have shot us in the range." Jenkins also spoke about Crooks’ personality and opined, “He was very quiet. He didn’t engage with us. He wasn’t interested in contributing to many of the conversations, which was really odd."