Photo shows Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks was transgender.

An image widely shared on social media claims to show Thomas Matthew Crooks, the shooter in the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, was transgender.

“I wonder why this photo isn’t being shared,” read a July 17 Instagram post, along with the hashtags #lgbt #transgender #transition #woke #assassination #Trump #ThomasMatthewCrooks. The photo showed someone with long hair wearing a black choker necklace and puffed shoulder sleeves. 

(Screenshot of Instagram post)

Transgender rights activist and journalist Erin Reed reported that the image shows an artist who goes by “Rose” and isn’t connected to Crooks. Reed interviewed Rose, who was “alarmed” to see her image. PolitiFact confirmed the picture’s origin and that the person in the picture isn’t Crooks. 

The picture was shared in a since-deleted X post from an account with the name Paul Hookem, which describes itself as the “#KingofMemes” and says it was “unbanned by Elon Musk after almost 4 years.” Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones reposted the image, too. 

The FBI investigation into Crooks is ongoing and investigators continue to seek a motive for the shooting. The agency’s statements about Crooks have not included any suggestion that Crooks is transgender. 

News reports that have examined the 20-year-old’s background  said he was from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022, got his associate degree in engineering science from the Community College of Allegheny in 2024 and planned to attend a four-year college. He worked as a dietary aide at a nursing and rehabilitation center and was a member of the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, a local gun club. We have seen no mention of Crooks being transgender.

We rate the claim that this photo shows Crooks was transgender False.