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| - FACT CHECK: Was The Trump Rally Shooter Arrested More Than Once?
A post shared on Threads claims Thomas Matthew Crooks, the shooter who opened fire on 2024 Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, was purportedly arrested more than once.
Post by @politicsbytabithaView on Threads
Verdict: False
In a statement released on July 14, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said Crooks was not previously known to the agency. There is no other evidence to suggest Crooks had ever been arrested or was arrested multiple times.
Fact Check:
Crooks’ father, Matthew Crooks, called police following the shooting that occurred at Trump’s rally upon realizing his son and an AR-style rifle were missing, according to The Independent. The elder Crooks owns “more than a dozen firearms,” the outlet reported, citing the FBI.
The Threads post, which has received over 500 likes as of writing, claims Crooks was purportedly arrested more than once. “Look at the pictures they chose to share of this deplorable. High school pictures where he looks innocent… The man was problematic, arrested more than once, why aren’t they sharing his mug shots? Well, we know why!!,” the post reads.
The claim is false, however. A July 14 statement released by the FBI in response to the shooting at Trump’s rally indicates Crooks was not previously known to the agency. Likewise, another statement, released on July 15, notes an FBI investigation into Crooks, including analysis of his electronic devices, is currently underway but mentions nothing about a prior criminal history. (RELATED: Did Donald Trump Say ‘I Like Presidents Who Didn’t Get Shot’ in July 2015?)
In addition, the Bethel Park, Pennsylvania Police Department has not publicly commented on the claim made via the Threads Post. Check Your Fact also did not find any credible news reports suggesting Crooks was arrested more than once. Actually, the opposite is true. On July 16, Politifact reported the claim is false.
Crooks, a 20-year-old man from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, opened fire on Trump’s campaign rally in Butler on July 13, according to BBC. The 20-year-old is believed to have used an AR-style rifle purchased by his father in the shooting, which left one rallygoer dead. Crooks was described as “quiet” and a “loner” by his high school classmates, the outlet reported. His motive for committing the shooting is currently unknown.
Check Your Fact has contacted the FBI and the Bethel Park Police Department for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.
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