Records newly obtained by Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley reveal that the suspected shooter in the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump frequented a gun club numerous times in the year leading up to the attack, even visiting on holidays. The release of these records coincides with the emergence of dramatic body camera footage capturing the incident.
According to a statement from Grassley’s office, the records highlight Thomas Matthew Crooks’ “intense preparation in the months prior to his attempted assassination of the former president.”
The records, provided by the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club in Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania, were released following a congressional request from Grassley’s office.
The documents indicate that Crooks became a member of the gun club on August 10, 2023, less than a year before the July 13 assassination attempt. Since joining, Crooks visited the range 43 times, with 20 visits occurring in his first four months as a member.
The records also show that Crooks spent several holidays at the gun range, including Christmas Day, Valentine’s Day, and Halloween. Grassley’s office noted that 80% of his visits were dedicated to rifle practice.
“He focused almost exclusively on the rifle range throughout 2024,” Grassley’s office reported.
The Clairton Sportsmen’s Club had previously confirmed to media that Crooks last visited the club on July 12, just a day before the rally. Records show that his final visit occurred at 2:45 p.m. local time.
Crooks, 20, is believed to have fired up to eight rounds from the rooftop of a building outside the security perimeter at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. He was killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper during the incident.
Body camera footage released on Thursday reveals the moment police first confronted the gunman. The video shows an officer being lifted onto the roof, encountering the shooter, and then retreating.
“This close, bro!” the officer shouts. “Dude, he turned around on me. He’s straight up!”
The footage captures officers arming themselves heavily and rushing toward the building.
“This building. He’s on top of this building,” an officer calls out. “He’s got a backpack. He’s got mad stuff—AR, lying down.”
As more officers head toward the building, others assist in getting more personnel onto the rooftop.
“Next, next, next,” one officer urges, trying to position more officers quickly.
However, by that time, Crooks was already deceased.
“One in custody. AGR building south. Rooftop,” an officer is heard saying.
In the aftermath, officers questioned how a gunman managed to access a rooftop firing position less than 400 feet from where Trump had been speaking.
“I told them, post guys over here,” one officer is overheard saying. “Why were we not on the roof?”
Butler County released the footage on Thursday in response to public records requests from news organizations.
The assassination attempt resulted in the death of one rally attendee and injuries to two others. Trump sustained a graze wound to his ear. The motive behind the attack is still under investigation.
Ronald Rowe, the acting director of the Secret Service, acknowledged last week that the video from that day showed there should have been better security measures.
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“We should have had better protection for the protectee. We should have had better coverage on that roofline,” Rowe stated to reporters.
FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate informed a Senate panel last month that the ongoing investigation is focusing on determining the shooter’s motive, identifying any potential accomplices, and establishing a complete timeline of events.
