Friday’s release of FBI documents through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from Judicial Watch revealed that Thomas Crooks, the man who attempted to assassinate President Trump in Butler, Pa. on July 13, 2024, had a private exchange about his 3D printer with an unknown person before the attack. The records show Crooks communicated with an “unknown contact” concerning 3D-printed “parts.”.
On Feb. 9, 2023, Crooks received a message asking “Did you 3D print the parts?” on his Samsung device. Several hours later, Crooks responded, “Yes, except for the fan blades.” The two then discussed their coursework at different colleges.
An unknown person texted Crooks “Woah that looks cool” just before asking about the “parts,” in response to a completely redacted message from Crooks. Federal investigative records reviewed by The Post last month showed Crooks’ father, Matthew, told investigators his son owned a 3D printer and once tried to fashion his own handgun.
Matthew explained that using carbon fiber plastic, a dryer and a toaster oven, Thomas did once create a Glock 19. Matthew tried the 3D-printed gun out but only fired a single round because he feared the frame would explode. Matthew indicated he did not allow Thomas to use the 3D-printed Glock 19.
Judicial Watch also obtained a “chat thread” between Crooks and a recipient whose name is redacted, occurring between May 21, 2023, and Jan. 3, 2024. Messages include “Hello … Hello red …Hello red … Hdudhdbdbbd … 7888ejdj …Yolo … Ddodjjf … 890 … Hdjd … Djdj … red … Yup red … Hello … Jhhhuuh … Hhdj … Jjjjjjjjjjjj … Hello red … Red red.” Incoming messages Crooks may have been responding to are not included in the document.
Messages from Christmas Day 2022 show Crooks trading “gifts” with an unidentified individual. One incoming text read, “Thanks for the gifts.” Crooks appeared to respond, “Your welcome. Thanks as well.”
Between Feb. 6, 2024, and Feb. 27, 2024, the FBI took images and flight records from Crooks’ drone. The device captured aerial shots of PNC Park and Acrisure Stadium, the home fields of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, along with railroad tracks and other spots across Western Pennsylvania. Records from a drone run in Butler on the day of the attempted assassination were also seized.
During a campaign rally, criminals targeted the 45th president and opened fire, hitting Trump in the ear. Two people among those present were injured: James Copenhaver and David Dutch. One person died: Corey Comperatore.
The Drone Flights
| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| Feb. 6, 2024 — Feb. 27, 2024 | PNC Park, Acrisure Stadium, railroad tracks, Western Pennsylvania |
| July 13, 2024 | Butler |
What the Father Said
| Detail | Source |
|---|---|
| 3D printer | Matthew Crooks |
| Glock 19 attempt | Matthew Crooks |
| Fired one round | Matthew Crooks |
| No use allowed | Matthew Crooks |
What Fitton Said
Tom Fitton, the president of Judicial Watch, made remarks in a statement where he said, “These latest records reveal more pieces of the puzzle surrounding Thomas Crooks.” He went on to add, “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 FBI declined to answer questions from reporters.
The FBI has determined that these papers hold value for the case at hand. What remains uncertain is whether the full body of evidence will ever be made public.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs gun owners and whoever is defending that right, and would rather punish people who misuse guns than disarm people who do not, so it backs neither side here and takes no position on how the law should treat 3D printing used for assassination attempts. The facts here concern a man who killed someone and wounded two others, and the feeling is about the facts, not about assigning blame.
The story shows how a father tried to keep his son from misusing a dangerous tool. Matthew Crooks told investigators his son owned a 3D printer and once tried to fashion his own handgun, but Matthew did not allow Thomas to use the 3D-printed Glock 19 and only fired a single round himself because he feared the frame would explode. That is a sensible approach to keeping a dangerous tool out of the wrong hands, and it fits with the paper’s view that the focus should be on punishing misuse rather than banning lawful ownership.
What the reader should watch for is the redaction pattern in the FBI’s records. The FBI has determined that these papers hold value for the case at hand, but what remains uncertain is whether the full body of evidence will ever be made public.
Source material: “Would-be Trump assassin Thomas Crooks texted mystery persons about his 3D printer and ‘gifts’,” the New York Post.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.