Overview
- In July 2024 Thomas Crooks shot President Trump in the ear at a campaign rally, and investigators later traced weapon components tied to the attack to parcels delivered to his parents' home.
- Federal records show Crooks placed online orders under the name “Bob Dole” so packages would arrive at his family address, and some parcels contained rifle parts and items to increase the weapon’s capacity.
- Agents gained access to at least 35 digital accounts linked to Crooks, including foreign-based email addresses in Germany and Belgium, but FBI leadership has concluded there is no evidence of a foreign nexus.
- Matthew Crooks told investigators his son coached him on using a VPN and a secure browser and that he handed the weapon to Thomas on the morning of the rally, while other interviews conflict on Thomas’s political interest and motive remains unresolved.
- Senate Judiciary Committee members have obtained the FBI files and plan oversight hearings with FBI leadership, a development that could sharpen scrutiny of online vendors, privacy tools, and how law enforcement traces weapon procurement.