Patel’s statement aligns with earlier FBI briefings, but also provides new details on the investigation’s depth.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced on Nov. 14 that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old who attempted to assassinate then-presidential candidate Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania in July 2024, planned and executed the attack on his own, with the FBI finding no evidence of accomplices or prior discussions by him of his intent.
Patel detailed the investigation on X, which leveraged more than 480 FBI employees.
Crooks Case Overview:
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) November 14, 2025
Over 480 FBI employees were involved in the Thomas Crooks investigation. Employees conducted over 1,000 interviews, addressed over 2,000 public tips, analyzed data extracted from 13 seized digital devices, reviewed nearly 500,000 digital files, collected,…
The agency conducted more than 1,000 interviews, sorted through 2,000 public tips, analyzed data from 13 digital devices, reviewed 500,000 files, and synchronized hundreds of hours of video footage. Additionally, they examined 10 financial accounts and combed over 25 social media or online forum accounts.
“The investigation … revealed Crooks had limited online and in-person interactions, planned and conducted the attack alone, and did not leak or share his intent to engage in the attack with anyone,” Patel wrote.
In the July 13, 2024, attack in Butler, Pennsylvania, Crooks fired eight shots from a rooftop, grazing Trump’s ear, killing one attendee, and wounding two others before being fatally shot by Secret Service agents. Patel’s statement aligns with earlier FBI briefings, but also provides new details on the investigation’s depth.
Little is known about Crooks, who lived in Bethel Park and was a registered Republican who donated $15 to a progressive group in 2021. Neighbors said they were shocked to learn that he was behind the assassination attempt, describing him as quiet and unassuming.
FBI officials previously revealed that Crooks searched more than 60 topics related to Trump and President Joe Biden in the month before the attack, especially as they related to rally details and explosive devices. His digital activity included encrypted overseas accounts, prompting suspicions of foreign involvement, but Patel’s social media post dismissed these concerns.
The deceased victim, Corey Comperatore, died shielding his family from gunfire, while Marine veteran David Dutch, 54, survived after being shot in the chest and liver. Another man, James Copenhaver, sustained life-altering injuries. David Dutch, 54, was also injured.
