Federal investigators have disclosed new details about the man who attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump, revealing text messages that show Thomas Matthew Crooks discussing 3D-printed firearm components more than a year before the July 2024 shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The FBI released the material in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by Judicial Watch, according to Just The News, and the documents include messages the bureau deemed pertinent to its ongoing investigation. The 20-year-old Crooks opened fire on President Trump during a campaign speech, grazing the Presidents ear in an attack broadcast live on television, while a rally attendee was killed as he tried to shield his family before Crooks was fatally shot by authorities from his rooftop position.
Among the unredacted records is a February 2023 exchange in which an unidentified contact asked Crooks, did you 3D print the parts? and Crooks responded that he had, except for the fan blades. It remains unclear precisely what device or weapon the pair were referencing, but the conversation quickly shifted from the printer to their respective college coursework, as reported by the New York Post.
The texts also indicate a personal relationship between Crooks and the unnamed individual, showing that they exchanged Christmas gifts in 2022, though the nature of those gifts was not specified in the documents. The level of familiarity suggested by the messages raises further questions about who in Crooks orbit may have known of his interest in improvised weapons and 3D printing.
These revelations follow earlier statements from Crooks father, Matthew, who said his son had previously attempted to construct a handgun using a 3D printer. According to the father, Crooks test-fired the homemade weapon only once because he feared it would explode, underscoring the experimental and unstable nature of such devices.
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton argued that the latest disclosures underscore the need for full transparency from federal authorities. These latest records reveal more pieces of the puzzle surrounding Thomas Crooks, Fitton said, adding, 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.
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