Overview
- The attack occurred at a July 2024 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when Thomas Matthew Crooks shot President Trump in the ear and federal agents opened a joint FBI and ATF probe.
- FBI interviews and documents show Crooks placed multiple online orders under the name 'Bob Dole' and had packages delivered to his parents’ house to hide his purchase history.
- Parcels to the family residence included parts and tools described by investigators as meant to increase the rifle’s capacity, and Crooks’ father told agents he gave his son the weapon on the morning of the rally.
- Agents reported they were able to access at least 35 digital accounts tied to Crooks, including foreign-based email addresses in Germany and Belgium, while FBI leaders concluded there was no foreign involvement.
- Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley has the files for upcoming testimony, a development that sharpens congressional oversight and raises questions about online anonymity, family access to weapons, and what investigators still do not know about motive.