Trump shooter Thomas Crooks reportedly teased attack in message online
Thomas Matthew Crooks apparently teased an attack online in the days before the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, FOX News reported.
Secret Service and FBI officials told U.S. senators during an all-members briefing on Wednesday that 20-year-old Crooks wrote a threatening message on the gaming platform Steam, just days before the shooting on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania, FOX News’ Jacqui Heinrich reported.
Crooks allegedly wrote: "July 13 will be my premiere, watch as it unfolds," according to the officials.
That same day, Crooks is accused of climbing onto a roof of a building near the rally and opening fire, killing one and injuring others, including Trump. A counter-sniper team stationed on buildings behind the Republican nominee and former president then fired once at Crooks, killing him.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is rushed offstage during a rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Steam is a popular platform where tens of millions of gamers purchase games and communicate. The discovery was made as investigators continue to review Crooks’ technological devices, including his cell phones and laptop, FOX News reported.
When investigators reviewed the laptop, they found a few searches in July of: Trump, Biden, when is the DNC convention, and the July 13 Trump rally, America’s top security officials told the senators on Wednesday, according to the news outlet.
The senators also learned that the suspect had two cell phones. The primary phone was recovered from the scene along with a remote transmitter, according to FOX News.
A second cell phone found at the home had only 27 contacts. The FBI is in the process of tracking down and interviewing those people, they told the senators.
Trump shooter's parents called police hours before attack
The development comes after it was also learned that Crooks' parents contacted law enforcement on Saturday, just hours before the attempted assassination.
The would-be assassin's mother and father told local police that Crooks was missing and that they were concerned about his welfare, a source told FOX News.
It remained unclear if they knew that he was in possession of an AR-15 rifle that belonged to his father.
Police have not said what actions they took after being contacted.
FOX News contributed to this report.