<p>FBI Director Kash Patel stated on September 15, 2026, that investigators reviewing devices belonging to Thomas Crooks found "no evidence" that the gunman who attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump communicated with anyone other than his parents.</p>
<p>Patel made these comments during a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, responding to questions from Senator Mike Lee (R-UT). This followed the release of additional FBI interviews that provided more details about Crooks’s background, firearms purchases, and political views.</p>
<p>“I think we looked at some 27 devices, exfiltrated all the data off of them, looked for connections to individuals in America and overseas, and 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.</p>
<p>Questions regarding Crooks's motivations have persisted since he opened fire from a nearby rooftop during Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. The incident resulted in Trump being grazed by a bullet, the death of former Butler fire chief Corey Comperatore, 50, and serious injuries to two other attendees. A Secret Service sniper killed Crooks at the scene.</p>
<p>Senator Lee expressed the need for a more comprehensive understanding of Thomas Crooks, stating that neither the public nor the committee had sufficient information about him.</p>
<p>Patel mentioned that the FBI had shared all information it could lawfully release with the Secret Service and relevant congressional committees. He deferred questions about security improvements to the Department of Homeland Security.</p>
<p>When asked if he would keep lawmakers updated about the investigation and any further disclosures, Patel responded affirmatively but did not provide a timeline for future releases or specify how many additional materials the FBI might possess.</p>
<p>Newly disclosed records included interviews with Crooks’s father, Matthew, who described his son as increasingly withdrawn and deeply interested in firearms, according to the New York Post. The documents were reportedly provided to committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA).</p>
<p>A source familiar with the matter confirmed the authenticity of the materials cited but declined to provide them, citing personal family information. The source indicated that there are still "quite a few records in Grassley’s possession," suggesting that more releases could come from the committee.</p>
<p>In addition to the New York Post’s review of the records, Crooks’s father noted that his son ordered Amazon packages under the name “Bob Dole,” believing a pseudonym would protect him from financial hacking. His purchases included rifle parts and tools, and he used encrypted email services while encouraging his father to use privacy software.</p>
<p>While the reason for using the name of the late former Republican senator from Kansas remains unclear, an unnamed source interviewed by the FBI described Crooks as a “history buff” with an interest in politics.</p>
<p>The interviews revealed that Crooks practiced shooting from increasingly distant positions and attempted to manufacture a handgun using carbon fiber plastic. His father could not explain the attack and reported seeing no warning signs.</p>
<p>In response to the new details, Trump posted on Truth Social, asserting that investigative information was “missing, altered, corrupted, or gone” before he returned to office. He accused Democrats of plotting to remove him from the election and criticized former FBI Director Christopher Wray’s management of the bureau at the time.</p>
<p>Attorney General Todd Blanche, speaking at a White House Rose Garden press conference, stated that Trump’s frustration was directed at the FBI’s former leadership under Wray. Blanche commended Patel for his handling of the records review and disclosures.</p>
<p>“His frustration and concern about what the former director was doing is something that is not new,” Blanche said. “He said that for a very long time.”</p>
<p>Blanche also noted that the FBI had found additional information about Crooks’s background and provided it to the Senate, praising Patel for undertaking a “herculean effort” to review documents and release previously undisclosed material.</p>