New information is coming to light about the life of the 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania who tried to assassinate him Donald Trump during the pre-election rally.

The 20-year-old attacker had once appeared in an ad for investment firm BlackRock, the firm said on Monday.

The ad, which was created in 2022, was filmed at Bethel Park High School, where Crooks was a student at the time. BlackRock filmed the spot, in a classroom starring a real teacher and real students.

Crooks was one of those students, BlackRock told CBS MoneyWatch.

He was not paid, nor hired by the company as an actor, the company clarifies.

The commercial

“In 2022, we ran an ad featuring a teacher from Bethel Park High School, in which several unpaid students appeared briefly in the background, including Thomas Matthew Crooks”BlackRock said in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch. “We will make all of the video available to the appropriate authorities and have removed the video from circulation out of respect for the victims.”

BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, also condemned the violence at Trump’s weekend rally.

“The assassination attempt against former President Trump is abhorrent. We are thankful that former President Trump was not seriously injured and our thoughts are with all the innocent bystanders and victims of this heinous act, especially the person who was killed.” BlackRock said in a statement.

The company added that “condemns political violence of all kinds”.