New details are coming to light about the alleged gunman who tried to assassinate then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in Butler in 2024.
PHOTOS: Former President Donald Trump rushed off stage after shots fired at rally
The information follows a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit that a legal advocacy group filed against the FBI.
The non-profit Judicial Watch said Friday that it obtained nearly 250 pages of records concerning Thomas Matthew Crooks.
According to those documents, Crooks received a package from Hong Kong, though the package’s contents were not disclosed.
There were also coded text messages between Crooks and another person about 3D printing gun parts.
Plus, the files contained dozens of drone photos Crooks took of Pittsburgh sports landmarks like PNC Park and Acrisure Stadium.
Authorities say Crooks tried to kill Trump during a campaign rally two years ago at the Butler Farm Show grounds.
Trump was grazed in the ear, while Crooks was almost immediately shot and killed by a sniper.
Crooks’ gunfire also hit three people in the crowd, including Corey Comperatore, who was struck while protecting his family. James Copenhaver survived the initial incident but died late last month.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
