FBI Director Patel Says Trump Rally Shooter Thomas Crooks Acted Alone
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FBI director Kash Patel (L) and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt (R) speak during a press briefing at the White House in Washington on Nov. 12, 2025. (Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times)
By Kimberly Hayek
11/15/2025Updated: 11/16/2025

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.

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.

Patel’s post is the first major update on the case since he assumed leadership of the FBI, and some lawmakers and critics are demanding more information, including access to Crooks’s online posts.

In the weeks after the assassination attempt, congressional hearings criticized Secret Service protocols, resulting in the resignation of its director. A bipartisan task force is currently investigating systemic failures.

A watchdog group is suing the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security for records regarding security lapses that allowed Crooks to climb onto the rooftop with a rifle after being seen by rallygoers and police.

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Kimberly Hayek is a reporter for The Epoch Times. She covers California news and has worked as an editor and on scene at the U.S.-Mexico border during the 2018 migrant caravan crisis.

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