Federal Bureau of Investigation documents released through a public records request show that Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024, had sent emails to a local sheriff’s office deputy before the attack.
The documents were obtained by Judicial Watch after the government watchdog group pursued legal action against the Department of Justice and FBI. A deputy with the Butler County Sheriff’s Office had exchanged two emails with Crooks prior to the shooting, according to an FBI electronic communication dated July 17, 2024.
What The Records Reveal
The deputy told investigators she did not immediately recognize the connection between her previous email exchanges and Crooks after his identity became public following the assassination attempt. She only discovered the correspondence after a New York Times reporter inquired about potential contacts in the days after the shooting.
The released records do not disclose the contents of the two emails, as those sections remain redacted. The deputy stated her contact with Crooks was limited exclusively to the email exchanges and that she had never met him or communicated with him through any other means.
Key details about the correspondence-including when the emails were sent, their subject matter, and why Crooks contacted the sheriff’s office employee-remain undisclosed in the publicly released documents.
The Investigation
Investigators reviewed the contacts as part of their broader effort to reconstruct Crooks’ activities and interactions before the assassination attempt. The available documents do not suggest the deputy had any prior knowledge of his plans or intentions.
The FBI also released an interview summary with a medic from the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit who was assigned to the rally. The medic arrived at the American Glass Research building rooftop where Crooks had positioned himself and officially pronounced him dead at 6:25 p.m., shortly after law enforcement secured the scene.
According to the medic’s account, Crooks was lying face down on the rooftop with flex-cuffs and a rifle positioned nearby. A SWAT officer recovered a cellular phone and a gray electronic device with numbered push buttons and an antenna from Crooks’ right pocket.
Public Records Requests
Judicial Watch originally submitted a Freedom of Information Act request in July 2024 seeking investigative reports, witness interviews, internal communications, and other law enforcement documents connected to Crooks and the July 13 assassination attempt. The records were released only after the organization pursued litigation to compel a response from federal agencies.
The shooting wounded Trump in his right ear and resulted in the death of retired firefighter Corey Comperatore.
This story has been updated. CNN’s wire staff contributed to this report.
