Federal records provided to lawmakers show that prospective assassin Thomas Crooks developed an intense obsession with firearms and long-distance shooting prior to the July 2024 campaign rally attack in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The detailed documents were delivered to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley as part of an ongoing congressional inquiry into the security failures surrounding the shooting.
Investigators learned from the gunman’s father, Matthew Crooks, that conversations with his son were typically brief and revolved almost entirely around firearms.
Addressing his son’s early attempts at target practice during the pandemic, the father described Thomas as a “terrible” shot who initially “could not hit the paper” target.
Over four to five years of persistent practice, the shooter transformed into a skilled marksman who routinely showed off tight target groupings from more than 100 yards away.
To improve his accuracy over longer distances, the shooter bought firearm accessories on Amazon using the pseudonym “Bob Dole”.
When questioned by his father about why he was shooting at such extreme distances, Thomas stated that he “just wanted to see how far he could shoot with rudimentary sights”.
Federal agents also uncovered highly unusual behavior in the days leading up to the rally attack.
Reviewing home surveillance footage from July 7, 2024, the gunman’s father observed his son pacing in the garage with his arms moving frantically while incomprehibly talking to himself as he cleaned a firearm.
In another strange incident, the suspect used a 3D printer to manufacture a homemade Glock-19-style handgun.
After testing the homemade weapon, the father barred his son from bringing it to the range because he feared “the frame would explode”.
On the morning of the assassination attempt, the father retrieved a Panther Arms A-15 semi-automatic rifle from a safe, believing his son was heading to a local gun range.
Reflecting on the deadly outcome, the father told investigators that he believed his son “had ulterior motives” that became clear “the minute he pulled that trigger”.