In the months leading up to the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt on then-candidate Donald Trump at a Butler, Pennsylvania rally, shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks exchanged a series of cryptic text messages concerning 3D printing, according to records obtained by Judicial Watch. A February 9, 2023, exchange with an “unknown contact” revealed the question, “Did you 3D print the parts?” to which Crooks responded, “Yes, except for the fan blades,” followed by the contact’s impressed reply, “Woah that looks cool.” Further FBI-redacted messages show Crooks sent bizarre, one- or two-word communications to a second redacted party between May 2023 and January 2024, including strings of nonsensical characters and repeated words like “red” and “hello.” These revelations come as it’s also known Crooks had previously attempted to 3D print a Glock 19 handgun using carbon fiber plastic, a dryer, and a toaster oven, though his father forbade its use due to fears of explosion. The attempted assassination left two civilians dead, including Corey Comperatore, a fire chief who shielded his family, and James Copenhaver, a veteran who later died from complications stemming from his injuries. The FBI’s slow release of heavily redacted information continues to draw scrutiny, especially following Copenhaver’s death.
Adapted from: U.S. News Today on Fox News
