The father of would-be assassin Donald Trump, Thomas Matthew Crooks, called police out of concern for his missing son hours after the July 13 shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, according to newly obtained audio.
At 10:56 p.m., nearly five hours after Trump was shot, Matthew Crooks called 911, concerned that his son had gone radio silent since mid-afternoon, he said.
Republican nominee Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by Secret Service agents as he leaves the stage at the Butler Farm Show Inc. on July 13, 2024.
Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images
“Hi, yes. Uh, my name is Matthew Crooks. I was calling my son, Thomas. Uh, he’s from the Clairton Sportsman Club.”
“The reason I’m calling is she left here at quarter to two this afternoon, and we’ve had no contact, no texts, nothing back, and she’s still not home. That’s not quite the same. So we’re worried, we don’t know what we should,” Crooks Sr. said, his voice steady but slightly strained.
The recording of the call was obtained by ABC News through a records request in Allegheny County, where the Crooks family home is located.
Matthew Crooks also mentioned that his son is 20 years old.
The audio of the call cuts off mid-sentence from the dispatcher, who confirmed the time frame when the family heard about their son.
Thomas Matthew Crooks allegedly fired eight shots from the roof 200-300 meters away, hitting Trump in the ear, killing one bystander and wounding two others. According to an FBI and Department of Homeland Security briefing, Crooks purchased 50 rounds of ammunition at a local gun store on the day of the shooting. Two improvised explosive devices were found in his car and another in his home, according to the bulletin.
It was only 26 seconds from the time he fired the first shot to the fatal shooting, according to county officials. Eleven seconds after the first shot, the Secret Service snipers hit their target, and 15 seconds later, Crooks was shot and killed.
