Would-Be Trump assassin Thomas Crooks linked to possible accomplice, investigators claim FBI withholding evidence

Nine months after a 20-year-old gunman attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the motive behind the attack remains unclear. The lack of a manifesto or any definitive explanation has left authorities and those who knew the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, searching for answers.

FBI accused of obstructing investigation

According to the NY Post, sources close to the situation suggest that the FBI has hindered efforts to determine why Crooks carried out the attack. According to sources, local law enforcement, former classmates, and even private investigators have been left frustrated by the lack of information. The shooter's parents, Matthew and Mary Crooks, have refused all interviews and now live in seclusion, reportedly leaving their home only in the early hours of the morning.

“By the way, why do we know nothing about that guy in Butler?” Elon Musk yelled out to the audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference last week, before warning that FBI Director “Kash (Patel) is going to get to the bottom of it," the source told the Post.

Investigators suspect more players involved

Doug Hagmann, a private investigator hired to look into the case, believes Crooks was part of a larger network. He and his team of six investigators have interviewed over 100 people and analyzed geolocation data from electronic devices connected to Crooks. Some of these devices, Hagmann claims, are still active, with one allegedly pinging at Bethel Park High School.

“We don’t think he acted alone,” Hagmann told The Post. “This took a lot of coordination. In my view, Crooks was handled by more than one individual and used for this [assassination attempt]. And I wouldn’t preclude the possibility that there were people at the rally itself helping him.”

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Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.), who has been investigating the case as part of a bipartisan Congressional task force, has expressed skepticism about Hagmann’s claims of a conspiracy but admitted the FBI has been obstructing his investigation. He theorizes that Crooks may have been under the influence of prescription drugs that altered his behaviour.

“Something happened to make him go crazy,” Higgins said. “He was not acting erratic but was a wild lunatic at the same time—calculated and incredibly smart.”

On July 13, Crooks opened fire from a rooftop about 130 yards away from the rally stage, firing eight shots. One bullet grazed Trump’s ear, while another struck and killed rallygoer Corey Comperatore. Two others, David Dutch and James Copenhaver, were seriously wounded before a Secret Service sniper killed Crooks within six seconds of the attack.

Crooks was declared dead at 6:25 p.m., with an autopsy confirming he died from a gunshot wound to the head.