Photos of Trump Shooter's Rifle and Gear Released, Appear to Confirm Report About Crooks

More than a month after the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, detailed images of the shooter’s equipment and firearm have been made public.

The rifle and gear were owned by Thomas Matthew Crooks, the gunman who targeted Trump from a rooftop while the 45th president was speaking at an outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

These photos seem to confirm the events of July 13 when law enforcement neutralized Crooks.

On Wednesday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released several images displaying Crooks’ rifle, the trunk of his car, his backpack, and the location from which he gained access to his elevated firing position.

The first image reveals Crooks’ rifle with a noticeable chunk missing from its stock.

Identified as a DPMS Panther Arms A-15 chambered in 5.56/.223, the stock displays clear damage, which strongly supports reports that a law enforcement bullet struck the rifle’s rear end, causing it to shatter and send shrapnel—fragments of the weapon itself—into Crooks, who was still alive at the time.

Louisiana Republican Representative Clay Higgins was the first to inform the public of this shot on Aug. 15.

Higgins stated that a member of the Butler County SWAT team fired the shot that hit Crooks’ rifle, causing it to “frag his face/neck/right shoulder area from the stock breaking up.” He praised the SWAT officer, calling him a “total bada**.”

The FBI described Crooks’ rifle as featuring an Atlas R-One handguard, a Holosun AEMS optic, and a (shattered) Magpul collapsible stock.

Another image shows the rifle’s upper and lower parts separated.

The FBI suggested this was likely done to make it easier to carry in a backpack that belonged to Crooks, found at the scene.

A photograph of the shooter’s trunk reveals undetonated explosive devices, with at least one appearing to have been made using an ammo can. However, the FBI expressed doubts about the devices’ functionality.

“The receiver for remote detonation was in the ‘off’ position,” the bureau noted alongside the photo. “Devices had several problems in the way they were constructed.”

The FBI also included an image of Crooks’ rooftop access point, taken after the shooting.

While the release of these photos and details provides the public with new information, many questions remain unanswered regarding the failed assassination attempt.

A counter-sniper who was present at the rally confirmed the suspicious nature of the shooting and vouched for the integrity of the evidence collected afterward.

Currently, a House task force and an independent panel of lawmakers not on the committee are both investigating the shooting and those connected to it.