PITTSBURGH – The FBI informed journalists on Monday that Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attempted to assassinate a presidential candidate, had a long-term “interest in science” and “experiments,” leading his family to “not be worried” about the numerous packages he received at home.
Crooks, 20, reportedly made 25 firearm-related purchases online from spring 2023 into the first half of this year and acquired materials for explosive devices on six occasions, all under various aliases, as indicated by the FBI. On July 13, he opened fire at a rally for Republican candidate Donald Trump, injuring the former president and two others, while fatally shooting firefighter Corey Comperatore.
Special Agent Kevin Rojek, head of the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office, stated, “The shooter had a longstanding interest in science and similar activities and had been conducting experiments over time. For that reason, [his family] wasn’t alarmed that [the packages] were centered on planning an attack or harming others.”
“Everything he engaged in was online,” Rojek mentioned. “He wasn’t stockpiling ammunition. He was not doing anything that would significantly raise his parents’ suspicions.”
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Thomas Matthew Crooks (Handout via AFP)
Rojek noted that “the parents have been very cooperative from the moment we first approached them.”
“The parents have indicated in their interviews that they had no prior knowledge of any of this. We consider this credible at this point, pending further investigation,” Rojek stated. “Again, we’re not dismissing any possibilities regarding what was in the home.”
This aerial view shows the residence of 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks in Bethel Park, PA, taken on July 15, 2024. (Reuters/Carlos Osorio)
The statements from the FBI emerge as Crooks’ father, Matthew Crooks, was seen on Monday exiting a Pittsburgh office building housing two law firms. He refrained from responding to questions from reporters about whether his family noticed any red flags before their son attempted to assassinate the former president.
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Matthew Crooks waits outside an office building in Pittsburgh on July 29, 2024. He is the father of Thomas Crooks, who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump. (DWS for Fox News Digital)
The FBI has indicated that Crooks’ “main social circle was comprised of his family.”
“We have identified only a few individuals we would categorize as his friends, and most of those contacts were rather old,” Rojek noted.
“Even when examining his gaming platforms, we observe minimal interaction with others, which is atypical for what is usually seen among gamers. Up to this point, we haven’t discovered anyone close to him within any social context.”
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Matthew Crooks departs from an office building in Pittsburgh on July 29, 2024. He declined to answer questions about warning signs his son might have exhibited prior to attempting to assassinate former President Trump. (DWS for Fox News Digital)
According to Rojek, the FBI’s behavioral analysis specialists consider Crooks to be “highly intelligent,” noting that he attended college while holding a consistent job.
“We still perceive him as somewhat of a loner concerning his interactions or any activities tied to his mental condition.”
FBI agents confirmed that Crooks had never sought mental health support nor received any prescribed medication.
Investigators are actively reviewing Crooks’ social media profiles from various devices.
FBI agents examine the home of Thomas Crooks, the would-be Trump assassin, in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. (AFP/ REUTERS/Aaron Josefczyk)
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Agents revealed that Crooks conducted online searches related to power plants, mass shootings, improvised explosive devices, U.S. political figures, and an assassination attempt on the Prime Minister of Slovakia earlier this year.
