# Trump shooter showed mental health red flags before attack > Newly released FBI documents reveal Thomas Crooks displayed erratic behavior and signs of psychological distress in the weeks before attempting to assassinate Donald Trump. - Title: Trump shooter showed mental health red flags before attack - Summary: Newly released FBI documents reveal Thomas Crooks displayed erratic behavior and signs of psychological distress in the weeks before attempting to… - Keywords: breaking, thomas matthew crooks, trump assassination attempt, butler pennsylvania, july 2024, fbi investigation, mental health, red flags, secret service, jonathan gilliam, kash patel, news - Source: Fox News — https://foxnews.com/us/attempted-trump-assassin-thomas-crooks-behavior-revealed-red-flags-before-attack-former-fbi-agent - Author: Adam Sabes - Published: 2026-09-15T00:00:00+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: breaking, thomas matthew crooks, trump assassination attempt, butler pennsylvania, july 2024, fbi investigation, mental health, red flags, secret service, jonathan gilliam, kash patel, news ## Shooter showed signs of mental crisis Thomas Crooks, 20, attempted to assassinate Trump at a July 2024 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Newly released FBI documents show people close to him noticed odd behavior in the weeks before the attack. ## FBI agent identifies manic state pattern Former FBI Special Agent Jonathan Gilliam says documents show Crooks was spiraling into an almost manic or delusional state. He argues the investigation should not be closed. > These are definitely examples of somebody who is mentally not stable and also somebody who was spiraling into almost a manic or delusional state. ## Suspicious chemical jug raised concerns An unclassified FBI memo states someone confronted Crooks about a gallon jug he claimed was used to clean his 3D printer. The person noted Crooks' ears would flame red when he lied. ## Constant self-talk and agitation increased An individual close to Crooks told the FBI he began talking to himself more after community college, moving his hands while speaking. He seemed to have endless energy and got more agitated as he got older. > After community college, he would talk to himself more and more, moving his hands and speaking to himself. ## All-night pacing and dancing observed FBI documents describe Crooks pacing through his home two to three times weekly at night, sometimes dancing and whispering. When confronted, he said he was bored and trying to entertain himself. > Sometimes he would stay up all night, always endless energy. ## Crooks denied hearing voices despite behavior When asked about his talking to himself, Crooks admitted to the habit but denied hearing voices in his head. The individual who reported this seemed close to Crooks and knew his patterns well. ## Intensive firearms training in months before Between April and June 2024, Crooks enrolled in three shooting courses at Keystone Shooting Center, including basic and intermediate handgun training. He also purchased ammunition during this period. ## Crooks shopped for ammunition online persistently FBI documents show Crooks purchased ammunition online, going from site to site until he found one willing to sell to him. He was spotted at a firearms store with two unidentified men in May 2024. ## FBI director says no outside connections found FBI Director Kash Patel testified to the Senate Oversight Committee that investigators found no evidence Crooks was connected with anyone else or even speaking to other humans besides his parents. > We found no evidence that that individual was literally even speaking to any other human being other than his parents. ## Foreign government contacted during probe The released documents show the FBI contacted at least one foreign government during its investigation into the assassination attempt, though no details were provided about why. ## Key takeaway People close to Crooks noticed he was becoming increasingly agitated, talking to himself constantly, and displaying signs of a manic or delusional state before the July 2024 attack.