Thomas Crooks Update as New Information About Trump Shooter Released

New details emerged this week regarding Thomas Crooks following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.

On Tuesday, Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the July 13 incident at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Deputy FBI Director Paul Abbate also provided testimony before the Committee.

During the hearing, Rowe and Abbate faced intense questioning from Senators who sought clarity on the assassination attempt. Abbate disclosed that investigators had identified a social media account that might be linked to Crooks. This account was reportedly associated with "antisemitic" content.

"Some of the remarks, if ultimately traced back to the shooter, seem to reflect antisemitic and anti-immigration sentiments, promote political violence, and are characterized as extreme," Abbate said during the session. "Although we are still working to confirm whether this account indeed belonged to the shooter, we felt it necessary to disclose this information today, especially given the lack of other details from social media or other sources about the shooter's possible motives and mindset."

Abbate also noted that a local law enforcement officer had observed Crooks with a firearm on the roof where the shooting occurred. "At around 6:11 p.m., an officer was lifted to the roof by another officer, saw the shooter, and reported that he was armed with 'a long gun.' The shots were fired within approximately 30 seconds," Abbate reported.

However, Rowe clarified that the Secret Service was not informed about the presence of a weapon on the roof. "No information regarding a weapon on the roof was ever communicated to our personnel," Rowe stated.

In response to questions about how Crooks managed to bring a rifle onto the roof, Abbate indicated that, although no "definitive evidence" has yet been found, preliminary evidence—including photos, video, and eyewitness accounts—suggests that the rifle was likely disassembled and carried in a backpack.

Thomas Crooks, 20, was identified as the shooter who targeted the former president during his July 13 campaign rally, causing an injury to Trump's ear. Crooks was subsequently killed by Secret Service agents, and the attack resulted in the death of one rally attendee, with two others sustaining critical injuries.