Newly released FBI records show that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the gunman who attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump during a 2024 campaign rally in Pennsylvania, exchanged emails with a member of the Butler County Sheriff’s Office before the attack, according to documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.
The records were released following litigation by government watchdog group Judicial Watch seeking investigative materials related to the July 13, 2024, shooting at a campaign rally in Butler.
Crooks, 20, wounded Trump and killed retired firefighter Corey Comperatore during the attack before being fatally shot by law enforcement.
According to an FBI summary dated July 17, 2024, a deputy with the Butler County Sheriff’s Office told investigators she had exchanged two emails with Crooks prior to the rally.
The deputy said she became aware of the communications only after receiving an inquiry from a New York Times reporter following the shooting. She then searched her records and located two email messages from Crooks, per Trending Politics.
The FBI documents do not disclose the contents of the emails, and the subject matter remains redacted in the released records.
The deputy told investigators she had no other contact or personal interaction with Crooks beyond the email exchanges.
The records do not indicate when the emails were sent or whether they were connected in any way to the campaign event.
The documents were part of a broader release of investigative materials sought by Judicial Watch in a lawsuit against the FBI and Department of Justice.
The organization originally filed its FOIA request shortly after the assassination attempt, seeking reports, interview summaries, communications and other records related to Crooks and the federal investigation.
The newly released records also contain an FBI FD-302 interview summary from a medic assigned to the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit who responded to the scene.
According to the interview, the medic arrived at the Butler County fairgrounds around 9 a.m. on the day of the rally to provide medical support.
After the shooting occurred, she was directed to the American Glass Research building, where Crooks had positioned himself on a rooftop overlooking the event.
The medic told investigators she climbed a collapsible ladder and reached the roof at approximately 6:23 p.m.
After checking for a carotid pulse, she pronounced Crooks dead at 6:25 p.m., according to the report.
She observed Crooks lying face down with flex-cuffs applied and a rifle nearby.
The medic also stated that a Washington County SWAT officer searched Crooks’ pocket and recovered a cell phone and a gray remote device equipped with numerical buttons and an antenna.
The device was later examined by explosive ordnance disposal personnel.
According to the report, a police canine subsequently alerted on an area below the rooftop, prompting authorities to temporarily evacuate personnel while Crooks’ body remained at the scene.
The medic remained on site until after 1 a.m. the following day and later participated in a debriefing session.
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said the records provide additional details about Crooks’ contacts and actions before and after the attack and argued that further transparency remains necessary as questions about the assassination attempt continue.
