Newly revealed FBI documents provide a troubling glimpse into the life of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the man who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024. This chilling narrative unfolds in the context of an ongoing Senate inquiry led by Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley.

In the documents, interviews with Crooks’ father, Matthew, offer insight into his son’s unsettling behavior and his obsession with firearms that intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Matthew Crooks shared that his son’s emotional detachment was evident from birth—he “did not scream” upon arrival and grew up without a strong father-son bond.

The father described a grim portrait of his son’s upbringing, noting that Thomas exhibited little joy, rarely laughed, and lacked emotional depth. “I never really had a father/son bond with Thomas,” he told FBI agents.

Thomas developed a fascination with long-range shooting, a pursuit that began during the pandemic. Initially, he struggled with basic marksmanship, failing to hit even paper targets. “He could not hit the paper,” Matthew recalled, reflecting on Thomas’s early attempts.

However, after several years of practice, Thomas’s skills improved dramatically. His father explained that he learned to use a prism sight, which enabled him to accurately target objects over 100 yards away.

To maintain anonymity, Thomas used the alias “Bob Dole” for online purchases, like rifle parts on Amazon. His father explained that these habits stemmed from concerns about being hacked following a bank account breach.

In a disturbing turn of events, Thomas manufactured a Glock 19-style handgun using a 3D printer. He only fired it once before his father intervened, fearing for their safety if the gun exploded.

Just days prior to the shooting attempt on July 7, 2024, Matthew observed Thomas pacing under alarming circumstances. Surveillance footage showed his son behaving erratically, mumbling incoherent phrases while cleaning a gun.

An unsettling question came from Thomas during this tense period: would he require a background check to buy his father’s Glock? Matthew noted this question raised red flags and highlighted Thomas’s increasingly unstable mental state.

On the morning of the assassination attempt, Matthew Crooks unwittingly supplied his son with a Panther Arms A-15 semi-automatic rifle. He believed Thomas was heading to a shooting range when he handed over the weapon, having taken it from the locked safe—a move Matthew later regretted.

Matthew had frequently changed the combination to the safe after suspecting Thomas was watching him enter the code, an insight that now haunts him.

Despite their mutual interest in firearms, Matthew felt a disconnect, stating he didn’t view it as a bonding experience. He told investigators he believed his son had “ulterior motives” that became evident the moment the trigger was pulled.

In the FBI documents, Thomas is depicted as a bright student, having scored 1500 on his SAT retake and briefly considering military service. It was a jarring contrast to his violent actions.

While Thomas found moments of joy in things like dancing alone in his room and idolizing the Marvel character Iron Man, these glimpses of normalcy were overshadowed by his troubling behavior.

Matthew Crooks admitted the family is at a loss for answers. He stated that, despite years of increasingly odd behavior, Thomas never signaled any deep-seated issues. They are now left “racking their brains” for clarity on his transformation into a violent figure.

The details emerging from these FBI documents reveal not just a tragic story about a father-son relationship but also raise broader questions about mental health, gun access, and the societal factors that could lead someone to such violent actions.

The ramifications of this case extend beyond the immediate tragedy. It underscores the urgent need to examine how individuals can slip through the cracks, exposing vulnerabilities which can culminate in acts of violence.

As this case continues to unfold, it raises critical discussions about gun laws and mental health resources in the U.S., emphasizing the importance of understanding the backgrounds of those who may pose danger to themselves or others.