(Washington, D.C.) – Judicial Watch announced today that it forced the release of 180 pages of heavily redacted Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) records through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit revealing that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the gunman who attempted to assassinate then-presidential candidate Donald Trump at a July 2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, purchased “a chest rig and ceramic plates,” exhibited increasingly unusual behavior, including talking to himself, pacing at night, staying awake for extended periods and exhibiting impulsivity issues.
Judicial Watch filed its July 2025 FOIA lawsuit after the FBI failed to respond to a July 2024 request for records concerning Crooks and the assassination attempt (Judicial Watch Inc. v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:25-cv-02216)).
In a July 15, 2024, FD-302 FBI interview report, an individual whose name is redacted wrote:
Thomas purchased ammo online, going from website to website until he found a site that would sell to him. Thomas recently bought a chest rig and ceramic plates. Thomas had recently gotten into rapid action range transition shooting where shooters would enter a timed range and switch between weapons while moving.
***
As Thomas became older, he started to get more agitated when [Redacted] and [Redacted] asked questions. Thomas talked to himself a lot. After community college he would talk to himself more and more, moving his hands and speaking to himself. This activity kept [Redacted] awake at night as sometimes. Thomas would stay up all night dancing in [redacted]. Thomas seemed to have endless energy.
***
Thomas was never diagnosed with any mental health disorders as a child, but did have impulsivity issues.
A July 15, 2024, FBI interview report states that Crooks purchased firearms courses from Keystone Shooting Center online, including a basic carbine course beginning May 25, 2024, a basic handgun course beginning June 13, 2024, and an intermediate handgun course beginning June 22, 2024. The courses were purchased using the email address [email protected].
A July 25, 2024, FBI report states that Crooks was seen with two older men at a firearms store. Employees of Keystone Armory in Edinboro, PA, contacted the FBI about Crooks’ May 2024 visit:
The individual believed to be Crooks was accompanied by a white male believed to be around his mid 30s and another older white male with a gray beard, potentially … the individual’s father. The individual believed to be Crooks and the two other males can be seen wandering throughout the firearms store looking at various firearms. The individual believed to be Crooks subsequently purchased 20 rounds of Red Army 7.62x54R 148 gr FMJ and left shortly thereafter.
The store provided the FBI with a receipt of ammunition purchase, a list of the store’s witnesses of the “person of interest” and “video/photo surveillance from outside and inside the business.”
A July 15, 2024, FBI electronic communication titled “Review of Samsung S136 – Web Browser History Indicated Visits to Mailfence.com” describes a review of Crooks’ Android phone including an examination of his web browser history and his use of Mailfence, an encrypted email service based in Belgium. The communication states: “Review of the web browser history of the device revealed the device accessed mailfence.com multiple times from 15 April 2024 to 8 July 2024.”
In a July 15, 2024, electronic communication, the FBI Counterterrorism unit requested assistance from a foreign government concerning information on the Samsung S136 device belonging to Crooks.
A July 21, 2024, FBI report quotes a former Community College of Allegheny County laboratory classmate who said he “tried to get to know Crooks, told him jokes and invited him to go out.” According to the classmate, Crooks was “very self-isolated and kept to himself.”
Crooks seemed to be very smart, and he clearly had the best grades in the class as he was teaching others. However, Crooks had severe social anxiety and would respond to any kind of small talk or social interaction with an aggressive foot tap. He was shy and did not have any friends. Although he would help other laboratory groups, Crooks did not interact with anyone else in the class. He kept to himself.
Judicial Watch was provided with two additional sets of records, available here and here. The latter production contains several law enforcement exemptions under (b)(7)(C), which constitutes an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, and (b)(7)(E), which discloses investigation techniques.
“These records provide important new pieces of the puzzle about Thomas Crooks and his activities before he attempted to assassinate President Trump,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “The American people deserve to know – in a timely manner – what the FBI knew about Crooks, his activities, his contacts and the circumstances surrounding the assassination attempt.”
In June 2026, Judicial Watch forced the release of 48 heavily redacted pages from the FBI through a FOIA lawsuit that indicated that a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) officer at the July 2024 presidential rally for Donald Trump in Butler, PA, recovered a “gray remote device” with an antenna from Crooks’ pocket after he was killed.
In May 2026, Judicial Watch received, in response to a court order, an audio recording of a 911 call placed by the father of Crooks.
In April 2026, Judicial Watch’s lawsuit forced the release of the first FBI records about the Butler assassination attempt, revealing that law enforcement personnel broadcast radio warnings about an “unknown male acting suspiciously” prior to the shooting.
In April 2026, Judicial Watch’s FOIA lawsuit forced the release of records from the FBI that showed that Crooks was reportedly involved in an altercation with a group of people and making “hateful comments” directed at President Trump at the Butler, PA, rally.
In August 2024, Judicial Watch uncovered documents from the district attorney’s office in Butler County, PA, detailing the extensive preparation of local police for the rally at which former President Trump was shot. The preparation included sniper teams, counter assault teams and a quick response force.
In August 2024, in response to a separate open records request, Judicial Watch obtained bodycam footage of the July 13 assassination events from the Butler Township Police Department.
###
