The pros and cons of school-sponsored shooting organizations

School rifle teams are nothing new. An October 1943 archival photo shows Walter Spangenberg giving some pointers to new members of the rifle club at Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Esther Bubley/Retrieved from the Library of Congress) Reports indicated that Thomas Matthew Crooks, implicated in the July 13 shooting at a Trump rally in Butler, tried out for a school rifle team. Such teams aren’t uncommon in Pennsylvania. “PublicSource is an independent nonprofit newsroom serving the Pittsburgh region. Sign up for our free newsletters.” by Lajja Mistry, PublicSource July 25, 2024 In the blizzard of profiles of Thomas Matthew Crooks following the July 13 shooting at a rally for former President Donald Trump, one of the many mysteries has been: Did the accused shooter try out for his high school rifle team? Former classmates have told media outlets that Crooks — who was 20 at the time of the rally — failed to make the team. The Bethel Park School District has said it has no records showing any involvement Crooks may have had with the team. The shooting resulted in an injury to Trump and two attendees and the death of Corey Comperatore. Crooks was...