Would-Be Trump Assassin Thomas Crooks Showed ‘Red Flags’ Before Attack, Ex-FBI Agent Says

Newly disclosed federal records suggest Thomas Crooks, who carried out the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump, appeared to be entering what a former FBI agent described as an “almost manic state” in the period leading up to the rally attack.

The documents, which were provided to the Senate and first detailed by the New York Post, outline concerns raised by people in Crooks’ orbit during the weeks before the shooting. The attack left one person dead and two others seriously wounded.

Jonathan Gilliam, a former FBI special agent, told News Media that the FBI material sent to lawmakers contained a series of apparent warning signs involving Crooks.

“These are definitely examples of somebody who is mentally not stable and also somebody who was spiraling into almost a manic or delusional state,” Gilliam said. “When you combine somebody who is delusional, somebody who’s hearing voices and is having almost a manic type of episode… with potential influence either by persons that they’re around or things that they see online… it’s very possible that that is the large part of this equation that we just have not seen.”

An unclassified FBI memo says Crooks was “never into explosives,” but it describes an encounter in which someone questioned him about a gallon-sized jug. Crooks reportedly said the container was used to clean the bed of his 3D printer.

The person, whose identity was withheld in the released documents, said they were skeptical of that explanation because Crooks’ “ears would flame red when he lied.” The records do not specify when the conversation about the jug occurred.

The same unidentified person recalled that Crooks became increasingly agitated as he grew older and frequently spoke to himself.

“After community college he would talk to himself more and more, moving his hands and speaking to himself…sometimes Thomas would stay up dancing all night,” the individual said, adding that he appeared to possess “endless energy.”

The individual, who appeared to be close with Crooks, said that when confronted about the habit, Crooks would “admit to talking to himself” but denied hearing voices in his head.

“Sometimes he would stay up all night, always endless energy,” an FBI notepad read.

The individual who appeared close with Crooks described his nighttime behavior to the FBI.

“THOMAS would be in [redacted] at night and it sounded like he was dancing and whispering each night. About two to three times each week, he would pace through [redacted] When [redacted] confronted THOMAS about the pacing, THOMAS would say that he was bored and trying to entertain himself. [redacted] worked [redacted] and the pacing was [redacted] distracting [redacted],” the FBI memo stated.

One of Crooks’ coworkers told law enforcement that in the weeks before the attack, he “opened up a little more” and became more “excited about going to school.”

Crooks was planning to attend Robert Morris University to study mechanical engineering and graduated with an associate degree in engineering science from the Community College of Allegheny County.

In the months before the shooting, Crooks also enrolled in the following courses at the Keystone Shooting Center:

• Basic Carbine Course, enrolled April 30, 2024, scheduled for May 25, 2024 — $139.99
• Basic Handgun Course, enrolled June 7, 2024, scheduled for June 13, 2024 — $139.99
• Intermediate Handgun Course, enrolled June 1, 2024, scheduled for June 22, 2024 — $149.99

Around the time Crooks was taking these firearm courses, he was spotted with two people at Keystone Armory in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, on May 25, 2024, where be bought 20 rounds of Red Army 7.62x54R for $19.07.

“The individual believed to be Crooks was accompanied by a white male believed to be around his mid 30’s and another older white male with a gray beard, potentially one of the individual’s father. The individual believed to be Crooks and the two other males can be seen wandering throughout the firearms store looking at various firearms,” the FBI document stated.

The documents also make reference to a redacted individual, believed to be Crooks, “purchased ammo online going site to site until he found one that would sell to him.”

FBI Director Kash Patel testified on Tuesday at a Senate Oversight Committee hearing that there’s no evidence that Crooks was connected with anyone else.

“We found no evidence that that individual was literally even speaking to any other human being other than his parents, who he resided with,” Patel testified.

The documents show the FBI contacted at least one foreign government during its investigation into the assassination attempt, but offer no further detail on why.