FBI files reveal quiet, gun-obsessed upbringing of Trump assassination suspect

FBI interview transcripts released to the Senate Judiciary Committee reveal that Thomas Matthew Crooks was born without crying and remained unusually quiet throughout his life, according to his father, Matthew Crooks. The father recounted episodes of school disruption, a brief suspicion of ADHD, and a period of association with a "bad" peer group, but emphasized that Crooks rarely displayed overt emotions. As a teenager, Crooks developed a strong fascination with firearms, attending a gun club, experimenting with homemade weapons, and ordering numerous gun-related components online under the alias "Bob Dole."

He also built a gaming PC and a security camera using a Raspberry Pi, and achieved a near-perfect SAT score of 1500. Despite these interests, his father said Crooks showed no clear signs of radicalization or a specific motive before the July 13, 2024, attempt on Donald Trump's life in Butler, Pennsylvania, which ended when Secret Service agents fired on him, resulting in his death.