Thomas Crooks: New records reveal pseudonym use and anonymous cremation donor

Thomas Matthew Crooks Butler Pennsylvania shooting Donald Trump assassination attempt FBI investigation Senate Judiciary Committee

Newly released federal records and FBI interview summaries have provided significant new details regarding Thomas Matthew Crooks, the individual who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024.

Documents provided to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley reveal that an anonymous donor paid for Crooks’s cremation, which occurred approximately 10 days after the shooting. This rapid cremation has drawn criticism from lawmakers, including Rep. Clay Higgins, who expressed concern that the quick disposal of remains could hinder investigations. Records suggest Crooks’s family may have lacked the financial means for funeral costs, as his father was unemployed and his mother was on leave from work at the time.

Further revelations detail Crooks’s efforts to maintain operational security. He reportedly used the pseudonym ‘Bob Dole’ to order rifle components and tools online via Amazon. His father, Matthew Crooks, stated that Thomas used digital privacy tools, specifically Cyber Ghost VPN and the BraveNet Browser, to protect his online activity from hackers.

Personal details from his father describe Crooks as a quiet, emotionally reserved individual who had been stoic since birth. While he was noted as being highly intelligent, scoring near-perfect on the SAT, he also exhibited behaviors such as talking to himself and occasionally acting out in elementary school due to boredom. Investigators also noted an increasing obsession with firearms and long-range shooting in the years leading up to the attack.

Entities

Chuck Grassley · Donald Trump · FBI · Matthew Crooks · Secret Service · Thomas Crooks · Thomas Matthew Crooks · Todd Blanche

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] Thomas Crooks occasionally misbehaved in elementary school due to boredom. www.theblaze.com · www.dailymail.com
[● 3 SOURCES] An anonymous donor paid for the cremation of Thomas Crooks. internewscast.com · trendingpoliticsnews.com · dailycaller.com
[● 2 SOURCES] Thomas Crooks used pseudonyms and digital privacy tools like Cyber Ghost VPN to obscure his online activity. pulptastic.com · nypost.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Thomas Crooks used the pseudonym ‘Bob Dole’ to purchase rifle components and tools online. pulptastic.com · nypost.com · thepatriotchronicles.com
[● 6 SOURCES] Thomas Crooks was exceptionally quiet and showed little emotion from birth. pulptastic.com · dailycaller.com · www.theblaze.com · www.dailymail.com · justthenews.com
[● 4 SOURCES] Rep. Clay Higgins criticized the FBI for releasing Crooks' body for cremation only 10 days after the shooting. internewscast.com · trendingpoliticsnews.com · dailycaller.com · nemosnewsnetwork.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] Thomas Crooks scored between 1400 and 1500 on the SAT. www.theblaze.com
[● 3 SOURCES] An anonymous donor paid for the cremation of Thomas Matthew Crooks. nemosnewsnetwork.com · internewscast.com · dailycaller.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] Thomas Crooks practiced a 100-yard shot the day before the assassination attempt. www.nbcnews.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Thomas Crooks used Cyber Ghost VPN and BraveNet Browser to obscure his online activity. pulptastic.com · thepatriotchronicles.com · nypost.com