Dad of Trump shooter called police after attack with concerns that his son and gun were missing, report says

Father of gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks owns ‘dozens’ of firearms, law enforcement officials say

The father of the gunman who shot Donald Trump called police after the rally shooting, worried that his son and a firearm were missing, according to reports.

Matthew Crooks realized his 20-year-old son, Thomas Matthew Crooks, and an AR-style rifle were missing shortly after shots were fired at the former president at a campaign rally on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania. Three senior law enforcement officials told NBC News that the father then called police.

Law enforcement officials then went to the home where Crooks lived with his parents in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.

Approximately a day later, they publicly identified Crooks as the gunman who fired from the roof of a building outside the security perimeter of the Trump rally. Because Crooks was not carrying a form of identification, investigators used DNA to confirm his identity.

The Independent has asked the FBI for more information on the report.

The gun was identified as his father’s missing firearm. Crooks used his father’s legally obtained 5.56 caliber AR-style rifle to carry out the shooting, police said.

Thomas Matthew Crooks was identified by the FBI as the shooter involved in an assassination attempt of former president Donald Trump at a campaign rally on Saturday, 13 July 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania (AP)

Law enforcement officials told NBC News that upon searching the Crooks’ home, they discovered “more than a dozen” firearms. It is not clear at this time if Crooks’ father kept his firearms in a locked storage container.

Under Pennsylvania law, gun owners are not required to store their firearms in a lock box or other locked storage measure but they are encouraged to.

Senior law enforcement officials told NBC that Crooks purchased 50 rounds of ammunition hours before the rally shooting on Saturday.

FBI also found what appeared to be a metal box of explosive materials and a receiver in the car which Crooks drove to the rally. Police say it is a sign that the shooter may have been planning to initiate an explosion of some kind.

Crooks’ motive in the shooting remains unclear but the FBI and other law enforcement agencies have launched investigations.

Police officers talk near the home of Trump shooting suspect Thomas Crooks (REUTERS)

The FBI said in an update on Monday that they had obtained access to Crooks’ phone and were analyzing his electronic devices.

Family members and neighbors said they were shocked to find out that Crooks was the perpetrator of the assassination attempt on the former president. Classmates and neighbors also told reporters that Crooks was a quiet boy who did well academically.

Former president Trump was minutes into his speech on Saturday when a bullet grazed his right ear. He was rushed from the stage by Secret Service agents, and treated at a local hospital.

The shooter killed Corey Comperatone, a 50-year-old volunteer firefighter. Two other men who were shot are in stable condition but still hospitalized.