Would-Be Trump Assassin Thomas Crooks Exchanged Texts About 3D Printed Parts, FBI Documents Show
Newly released FBI documents reveal communications from Thomas Crooks, the individual who attempted to assassinate former President Trump, including messages about 3D-printed components and coded conversations.
FBI documents released Friday, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by Judicial Watch, indicate that Thomas Crooks, the individual who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump, exchanged text messages with an unknown contact concerning 3D-printed "parts." The documents also reveal coded communications with another unidentified individual.
One message from February 9, 2023, reads, "Did you 3D print the parts?" from an "unknown contact" to Crooks, who reportedly responded, "Yes, except for the fan blades." These messages were deemed pertinent to the investigation of the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Crooks shot Trump in the ear and wounded two rally attendees, killing one.
Previous reports indicated that Crooks’ father told investigators his son owned a 3D printer and had attempted to create a handgun. "Using carbon fiber plastic, a dryer and a toaster oven, Thomas did once create a Glock 19," the father reportedly stated. He also mentioned trying the 3D-printed gun but stopped after firing one round due to concerns about the frame exploding.
The newly released documents also contain a "chat thread" between Crooks and a redacted recipient, largely consisting of short messages and character strings, occurring between May 2023 and January 2024. Additionally, messages from Christmas Day 2022 suggest Crooks exchanged "gifts" with an unidentified person.
The FBI also extracted images and flight logs from Crooks' drone. Between February and February 2024, Crooks captured aerial photos of PNC Park and Acrisure Stadium, along with railroad tracks and other Western Pennsylvania locations. Drone data from the day of the assassination attempt in Butler was also recovered.
"These latest records reveal more pieces of the puzzle surrounding Thomas Crooks," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "The FBI should stop the slow drip of heavily redacted records and immediately provide the full investigative record."