Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old gunman who opened fire on Saturday at a rally for former President Donald Trump, was wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with “Demolition Ranch,” the name of a popular YouTube Channel focused on firearms.
The YouTube channel, which has more than 11 million subscribers, is run by Texas social media personality Matt Carriker. In his YouTube profile, he says the account is “not your average gun channel.”
In the aftermath of the shooting, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies are investigating Crooks’ background and possible motive. Crooks was killed by snipers Saturday after he shot and injured Trump, killed a spectator and critically injured two others.
Crooks was a 2022 graduate of Bethel Park High School in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh suburb about an hour south of the Trump rally’s location in Butler, Pennsylvania. A former classmate told CBS News that Crooks had tried out for the school’s varsity rifle team during his freshman year, but that he didn’t make the roster and didn’t return in later years to try out again.
What is Demolition Ranch?
Demolition Ranch offers videos with titles such as “Is the AK-50 any good?” and “I sawed off a .50 caliber sniper rifle.” In addition to its gun-related video content, Demolition Ranch operates a store selling merchandise branded with the channel’s name, including $30 t-shirts, $55 sweatshirts and $35 hats, as well as can coolers and stickers.
Demolition Ranch primarily focuses on the capabilities of firearms, including esoteric weapons such as a pistol grenade launcher. Last month, the account announced that it was opening a public shooting facility called Desperado shooting range. In the video, Carriker shows off a new gun, which he uses to shoot at targets, with the action set to a soundtrack. His videos are often tagged as sponsored by a range of companies.
In another short video, Carriker tested the force of what he called “the most powerful sniper rifle” against a bronze block. He also shows off his personal arsenal, which appears to include hundreds of weapons.
Carriker is also the founder of another account called Vet Ranch, described on YouTube as “a place for veterinarians to share some amazing stories.” A Facebook page calls Vet Ranch “an organization that provides veterinary treatment for homeless animals.” Carriker also has a social media presence on X, Instagram and TikTok.
On his company’s site, Carriker says that since founding Demolition Ranch in 2011 he has amassed a personal net worth of $4.3 million. He states that his YouTube channel and his merchandise shop are two of his primary sources of income.
On Demolition Ranch’s site, Carriker also breaks down his earnings, claiming to earn a monthly salary of $24,000 to $27,000, plus between $13,000 to $15,000 per month from his YouTube channels. On an annual basis, he said that equates to an income between $445,000 to $504,000.
Carriker responds to shooting
In a Facebook post Saturday Carriker posted an image of a bloodied Crooks wearing the Demolition Range t-shirt and captioned it with, “What the hell.”
On social media site X, Carriker wrote: “Sucks seeing articles about this and they are naming 3 people… the shooter, trump… and somehow me.” A representative for Carriker did not immediately respond to CBS MoneyWatch’s request for comment.
Carriker also said he is “in disbelief” about the incident, adding that he will soon make a public statement on YouTube.