Trumps attempted assassin sent mysterious texts about 3D printer leading up to Butler, Pa. shooting: report

Thomas Matthew Crooks, the shooter in the assassination attempt at President Donald Trump’s Butler, Pennsylvania, rally on July 13, 2024, sent a series of strangely coded text messages in the months leading up to the shooting, according to records obtained by Judicial Watch.“Did you 3D print the parts?” an individual the FBI described as an “unknown contact,” messaged Crooks on Feb.9, 2023.“Yes, except for the fan blades,” Crooks responded.“Woah that looks cool,” the unknown contact replied to Crooks, also asking about the “parts” in response to a Crooks message which the FBI redacted.Another series of messages between Crooks and a redacted second party display a series of odd one- or two-word messages Crooks sent the contact between May 21, 2023, and Jan.

3, 2024.“Hello … Hello red …Hello red … Hdudhdbdbbd … 7888ejdj … Yolo … Ddodjjf … 890 … Hdjd … Djdj … red … Yup red … Hello … Jhhhuuh … Hhdj … Jjjjjjjjjjjj … Hello red … Red red,” Crooks’ messages read.The FBI redacted any potential response from the other party, according to the documents.Other information Judicial Watch received from the FBI documents included a notification from shipping company DHL about a package Crooks received from Hong Kong.The document release also included 40 drone photos Crooks took between Feb.

6, 2024, and Feb.27, 2024, which included photos of PNC Park and Acrisure Stadium, where the MLB’s Pittsburgh Pirates and the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers play, respectively.Crooks’ affinity for 3D printing had been previously reported by the New York Post, after the outlet reviewed a series of documents obtained by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen.

Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.Crooks had previously attempted to use his 3D printer to create a Glock 19 handgun, his father, Matthew Crooks, told investigators, according to the documents obtained by Grassley.“Using carbon fiber plastic, a dryer and a toaster oven, Thomas did once...