Newly-released FBI documents that were obtained by government watchdog group Judicial Watch revealed that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the gunman who wounded President Donald Trump and killed retired firefighter Corey Comperatore during a 2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, exchanged emails with local law enforcement prior to the shooting.
The documents, which were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, include summaries of interviews with law enforcement personnel involved in the response to the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt.
One key detail from the records is that a deputy from the Butler County Sheriff’s Office exchanged two emails with Thomas Matthew Crooks prior to the event. According to a July 17, 2024, FBI electronic communication summarizing interviews conducted on July 16, 2024, with five deputies, the unnamed deputy stated that she did not initially recognize Crooks when his identity became public after the shooting.
She reported receiving a query from a New York Times reporter on the Sunday following the incident, which prompted her to review her email records.
The deputy indicated that she located exactly two email communications from Crooks. The content and subject matter of these emails remain redacted in the released documents.
She further stated that she had no personal interaction with Crooks beyond these emails. The FBI summary does not provide additional context on the timing, frequency, or purpose of the communications, leaving those details undisclosed.
NEW: @JudicialWatch announced that it forced the release of 48 heavily redacted pages from the FBI through FOIA lawsuit revealing that a Butler County Sheriff’s deputy exchanged emails with would-be Trump assassin Thomas Crooks prior to the July 13, 2024, shooting. The records… https://t.co/8F64teF85r
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) June 6, 2026
These records form part of broader investigative materials obtained by Judicial Watch in its lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice and FBI.
The original FOIA request, filed in July 2024, sought investigative files, interview summaries, reports, communications, and other records related to Crooks and the assassination attempt. The FBI’s production of these documents occurred after litigation compelled responses.
The same set of records also includes an FD-302 interview summary with a medic from the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit. The medic described arriving at the Butler County fairgrounds around 9:00 a.m. on July 13 and providing medical support. After the shooting, she responded to the American Glass Research (AGR) building, where Crooks had positioned himself on the roof.
She climbed a collapsible ladder, arrived on the roof at approximately 6:23 p.m., and pronounced Crooks dead at 6:25 p.m. after checking for a carotid pulse and finding none. She observed him lying face down, restrained with flex-cuffs, with his rifle nearby.
According to the medic’s account, a Washington County SWAT officer searched Crooks’ right pocket and recovered a cell phone along with a gray remote device featuring numerical push buttons and an antenna. Explosive ordnance disposal personnel later examined the device.
The medic also recalled a police canine alert on the building below, leading to an evacuation order for personnel on the roof while Crooks’ body remained in place. She stayed at the scene until after 1:00 a.m. on July 14 and participated in a debriefing.
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton stated that the organization’s litigation continues to yield information about the incident and emphasized the need for transparency regarding Crooks’ contacts and related details.
