Newly released federal documents describe a pattern of erratic behavior by Thomas Crooks, the Bethel Park man who opened fire at a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in the weeks leading up to the attack that killed one person and seriously injured two others.
The records, turned over to the Senate and first reported by the New York Post, include interviews with people who knew Crooks describing him as increasingly agitated, prone to talking to himself, and staying up all night pacing and, at times, dancing.
Former FBI special agent Jonathan Gilliam reviewed the documents and told Fox News Digital they contain clear warning signs.
“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.”
According to an unclassified FBI memo, Crooks was “never into explosives,” though one individual, whose name was redacted in the documents, once confronted him about a gallon jug he claimed was used to clean the bed of his 3D printer. That person told investigators they didn’t believe the explanation, saying Crooks’ “ears would flame red when he lied.” It is not clear when that conversation took place.
The same individual, who appeared to be close to Crooks, told the FBI he became “more agitated” as he got older and “talked to himself a lot,” especially after starting community college. “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 person said, adding that Crooks “seemed to have endless energy.” When confronted, Crooks would admit to talking to himself but denied hearing voices in his head.
An FBI notepad entry echoed the description: “Sometimes he would stay up all night, always endless energy.” Another portion of the memo, with several details redacted, described Crooks pacing and “whispering” at night two to three times a week, telling the person who confronted him that he was “bored and trying to entertain himself.”
A coworker of Crooks told investigators that in the weeks before the shooting, he seemed to open up more and grew excited about returning to school. Crooks had earned an associate degree in engineering science from the Community College of Allegheny County and was planning to study mechanical engineering at Robert Morris University.
Firearms training and purchases
In the months before the attack, Crooks enrolled in courses at the Keystone Shooting Center. Around the same time, on May 25, 2024, he was seen at Keystone Armory in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, where he bought 20 rounds of Red Army 7.62x54R ammunition for $19.07.
According to the FBI documents, Crooks was accompanied at the store by two other men. “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 document states.
The records also indicate that a redacted individual believed to be Crooks “purchased ammo online going site to site until he found one that would sell to him.”
No evidence of outside contact, FBI director says
FBI Director Kash Patel testified before the Senate Oversight Committee that investigators found nothing linking Crooks to anyone beyond his own household. “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 said.
The documents also show the FBI contacted at least one foreign government as part of its investigation, though they offer no further detail on the reason for that outreach.
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