New details have surfaced regarding Thomas Matthew Crooks, the individual behind the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump at a Butler, Pennsylvania, rally on July 13, 2024. Records obtained by Judicial Watch reveal a series of oddly coded text messages and suspicious activities in the months leading up to the attack, raising further questions about the true nature of his plot.
Among the most unsettling revelations are messages exchanged on February 9, 2023, where an individual the FBI only identifies as an "unknown contact" messaged Crooks asking, "Did you 3D print the parts?" Crooks' reply was chillingly direct: "Yes, except for the fan blades." The unknown contact responded with "Woah that looks cool" and inquired further about "parts" in response to a heavily redacted message from Crooks. This exchange points to an unsettling familiarity with manufacturing components, potentially for illicit purposes, and the opaque nature of the FBI's disclosure leaves more questions than answers.
Adding to the mystery, a separate series of messages between Crooks and a second, also-redacted party between May 21, 2023, and January 3, 2024, consisted of bizarre, one- or two-word entries from Crooks: "Hello … Hello red …Hello red … Hdudhdbdbbd … 7888ejdj … Yolo … Ddodjjf … 890 … Hdjd … Djdj … red … Yup red … Hello … Jhhhuuh … Hhdj … Jjjjjjjjjjjj … Hello red … Red red." The FBI's decision to redact the other party's responses only deepens the concern about potential accomplices or handlers.
The documents further reveal a notification from shipping company DHL about a package Crooks received from Hong Kong. Such international shipments, combined with his known interest in 3D printing, could suggest a broader network or external influence at play. Additionally, Crooks took 40 drone photos between February 6 and February 27, 2024, capturing images of major venues like PNC Park and Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. This raises serious red flags about potential reconnaissance and planning, not just for the Trump rally but possibly other targets.
Crooks' dangerous fascination with 3D printing was previously highlighted when his father, Matthew Crooks, told investigators that his son had successfully used his 3D printer to create a Glock 19 handgun. "Using carbon fiber plastic, a dryer and a toaster oven, Thomas did once create a Glock 19," Matthew Crooks stated. Although his father forbade him from using the homemade weapon due to safety fears, the fact remains that Crooks possessed the capability and intent to produce untraceable firearms.
The foiled assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, had devastating consequences for innocent Americans. Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old fire chief, made the ultimate sacrifice, dying instantly while shielding his family from the barrage of bullets. James Copenhaver, a 76-year-old veteran, suffered grievous injuries, including shots to his triceps and midsection, damaging vital organs. Though he was released from the hospital, Copenhaver tragically succumbed to complications from those injuries in September 2026, making him a posthumous victim of this heinous act.
Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, minced no words in demanding accountability and transparency from federal authorities. "These latest records reveal more pieces of the puzzle surrounding Thomas Crooks," Fitton stated. "The FBI should stop the slow drip of heavily redacted records and immediately provide the full investigative record — especially since the death last week of James Copenhaver, who was severely injured from being shot during the assassination attempt on President Trump."
The continued slow release of fragmented information by federal agencies fuels public distrust and raises critical questions about what the American people are not being told. In a nation where a former President and leading contender for the White House was targeted, full transparency is not merely a request but an absolute necessity for national security and the preservation of faith in our institutions. The complete truth about Thomas Crooks' motives, his mysterious contacts, and his dark preparations must be brought into the light, ensuring that such a heinous attack is never again shrouded in secrecy.
