The parents of the man who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump were allegedly looking for the 20-year-old and called police in the hours leading up to the shooting. According to a report by Fox News, Thomas Matthew Crooks’ parents told law enforcement their son was missing and they were “worried.”
Meanwhile, NBC News reported senior law enforcement officials said Crooks’ father called police after the attempted assassination to tell police that his son and AR rifle were missing.
It is unclear whether Crooks’ father called police before or after the shooting, or both times.
The FBI went to the Crooks’ family home in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The town is about 50 miles south of the Trump campaign rally site. Agents found more than a dozen legal guns in the residence. Law enforcement said Crooks’ parents are cooperating with the investigation.
According to The Associated Press, one day before the shooting, Thomas Crooks went to a gun range to practice shooting.
Law enforcement also said Crooks requested off work Saturday, July 13, because he told his boss he “had something to do.” Crooks told his coworkers he would see them on Sunday.
On Saturday morning, Crooks purchased a 5-foot ladder from a Home Depot store. He also bought 50 rounds of ammunition from a local gun shop. Crooks then drove to the rally.
Witnesses said they saw Crooks walking around for at least a half-hour before he climbed onto the roof of a building less than 150 yards from where President Trump spoke on stage.
Video on X shows witnesses yelling at police minutes before the shooting that a man was on the roof with a gun.
At 6:11 p.m., Crooks fired three shots, with one grazing Trump’s ear. The former president ducked below the podium while Secret Service agents piled on top to protect him from any further gunfire.
A counter-sniper fired back and killed Crooks. One man in the crowd was killed and two others were critically injured.
Questions about how Crooks could have gotten onto the rooftop with an AR rifle linger four days after the shooting.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said the House will create a task force to investigate the attempted assassination “quickly.”
“Since the assassination attempt, within hours, I was on the phone with Secretary Mayorkas at Homeland Security,” Johnson said. “He did not have satisfactory answers at that time. I’ve since spoken to leaders at the FBI, the director of national intelligence, they also, uh, there are real questions, let’s just put it that way.”
“The answers have not been forthcoming,” Johnson continued. “I think they’re gathering data, we’re going to do it, as well. We have to have accountability for this. It was inexcusable. Obviously, there were security lapses. You don’t have to be a special ops expert to understand that.”
Johnson said he will be asking Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to resign. She is expected to testify on Capitol Hill on Monday, July 22.
