Federal records show that Thomas Crooks, the gunman who attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, used the alias “Bob Dole” when ordering parts, tools and other items intended to increase the capacity of his rifle, according to reporting by the New York Post.
Crooks carried out the attack on July 13, 2024, opening fire on Trump with a rifle he had borrowed from his father, reportedly under the pretense of going to a shooting range. Trump was struck in the ear, and blood was left splattered on his face and neck. Rally attendee Corey Comperatore was killed in the attack, and two other attendees, David Dutch and James Copenhaver, were wounded, according to City & State Pennsylvania. Crooks was shot dead at the scene by a Secret Service counter sniper, per the Associated Press.
More than two years after the shooting, the newly reported federal records add a detail to the picture of Crooks’ preparations, though they do not explain why he chose the name of the late Senator Bob Dole as a cover identity.
Crooks’ father told FBI agents that his son “never identified anyone as a friend throughout middle school and high school,” according to Fox News. Investigators have not disclosed a motive for the assassination attempt, and the reason behind his choice of alias remains unknown.
