Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attempted to assassinate then-candidate Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024, had been exchanging cryptic messages about 3D printing with an unknown contact prior to the shooting. Judicial Watch obtained FBI documents revealing that Crooks responded affirmatively to inquiries about 3D-printed parts and fan blades, suggesting he was engaged in potentially illegal activities. The documents also include a DHL shipping notification indicating a package from Hong Kong arrived for Crooks, as well as drone photos taken by him of sports venues near Pittsburgh.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-03,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Thomas Crooks, who attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024, exchanged mysterious text messages about a 3D printer before the shooting. FBI documents show that an "unknown contact" messaged Crooks asking if he had printed parts with his 3D printer; to which Crooks responded affirmatively except for some fan blades. Additionally, another series of cryptic one- or two-word texts between Crooks and a second redacted individual are detailed in the messages from May 21, 2023, to January 3, 2024. These exchanges were marked as pertinent to the investigation by the FBI. The documents also revealed that Crooks' father told investigators his son had attempted to create a handgun using a 3D printer and other household items like a dryer and toaster oven.
Written for “Trump Assassin Mysterious Texts” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 3 other(s) covering the same event.
Trump’s attempted assassin sent mysterious texts about 3D printer leading up to Butler, Pa. shooting: report
asserted
assassin → attempt → shooting
Thomas Matthew Crooks, the shooter in the assassination attempt at President Donald Trump’s Butler, Pennsylvania, rally on July 13, 2024, sent a series of strangely coded text messages in the months leading up to the shooting, according to records obtained by Judicial Watch.
uncertain
Crooks → send → Watch
“Did you 3D print the parts?” an individual the FBI described as an “unknown contact,” messaged Crooks on Feb. 9, 2023.
asserted
FBI → print → Feb.
“Yes, except for the fan blades,” Crooks responded.
asserted
Crooks → respond → blades
“Woah that looks cool,” the unknown contact replied to Crooks, also asking about the “parts” in response to a Crooks message which the FBI redacted.
asserted
FBI → look → which
Another series of messages between Crooks and a redacted second party display a series of odd one- or two-word messages Crooks sent the contact between May 21, 2023, and Jan. 3, 2024.
uncertain
Crooks → redact → May
Hello … Jhhhuuh … Hhdj … Jjjjjjjjjjjj … Hello red … Red red,” Crooks’ messages read.
asserted
messages → read → ?
The FBI redacted any potential response from the other party, according to the documents.
uncertain
FBI → redact → documents
Other information Judicial Watch received from the FBI documents included a notification from shipping company DHL about a package Crooks received from Hong Kong.
asserted
Crooks → receive → Kong
The document release also included 40 drone photos Crooks took between Feb. 6, 2024, and Feb. 27, 2024, which included photos of PNC Park and Acrisure Stadium, where the MLB’s Pittsburgh Pirates and the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers play, respectively.
asserted
Pirates → include → Park
Crooks’ affinity for 3D printing had been previously reported by the New York Post, after the outlet reviewed a series of documents obtained by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.
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outlet → report → Grassley
Crooks had previously attempted to use his 3D printer to create a Glock 19 handgun, his father, Matthew Crooks, told investigators, according to the documents obtained by Grassley.
uncertain
father → attempt → Grassley
“Using carbon fiber plastic, a dryer and a toaster oven, Thomas did once create a Glock 19,” Matthew Crooks told investigators.
asserted
Crooks → use → investigators
But, fearing the gun would explode, Matthew Crooks forbade his son from using it, according to records obtained by the Post.
uncertain
Crooks → fear → Post
Crooks’ assassination attempt on then-candidate Donald Trump, while unsuccessful in killing Trump, resulted in the deaths of two civilians.
asserted
attempt → kill → civilians
Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old fire chief, died immediately while shielding his family from bullets.
asserted
Comperatore → die → bullets
James Copenhaver, a 76-year-old veteran, was shot in the triceps and the midsection, receiving injuries to vital organs including his kidneys and colon.
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Copenhaver → shoot → kidneys
Though Copenhaver was released from the hospital a week after the shooting, he dealt with complications from the injuries in the ensuing years.
asserted
he → release → years
On Sept. 23, 2026, he died due to those complications.
asserted
he → die → complications
“These latest records reveal more pieces of the puzzle surrounding Thomas Crooks,” Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton said in a statement.
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Fitton → reveal → statement
“The FBI should stop the slow drip of heavily redacted records and immediately provide the full investigative record — especially since the death last week of James Copenhaver, who was severely injured from being shot during the assassination attempt on President Trump.”
asserted
who → stop → Trump
The Aporia
