Shocking Alias Tied To Trump Shooter

Handgun on a firearms transaction form with a pen — Photo: Guy J. Sagi / Shutterstock

Newly reviewed federal records show the man who tried to kill President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, used the name “Bob Dole” to order gun parts before the attack.

Quick Take

Federal records show Thomas Crooks used the alias “Bob Dole” to buy gun parts and have them shipped to his parents’ house.
The packages reportedly held items meant to improve the range and function of the rifle he later used at the July 2024 rally.
Crooks practiced shooting for years and studied long-range accuracy before the attack, the records show.
An anonymous donor paid for Crooks’ cremation after he was killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper at the scene.

False Name Used To Hide Purchases

Federal records reviewed by multiple news outlets show Thomas Crooks made online purchases under the name “Bob Dole,” borrowing the identity of the late Kansas senator and 1996 presidential candidate. He had the packages sent to his parents’ home in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, according to the documents. His father, Matthew Crooks, told investigators the shipments came often and piled up before the shooting.

The purchases were not everyday items. Reports based on the records describe parts and tools meant to boost the range and power of the rifle Crooks later carried to the Trump rally on July 13, 2024. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has confirmed the weapon was a DPMS Panther Arms A-15 rifle fitted with a Picatinny rail, optics, and a collapsible stock.

Years Of Practice Before The Attack

The records describe a young man who grew increasingly focused on firearms during his teenage years. Crooks practiced shooting for several years and taught himself how to hit targets at long range and adjust his sights, according to the files. He had also tried building a handgun on his own, the documents show, suggesting a pattern of escalating interest in weapons well before the Butler shooting.

Investigators also found that Crooks worked to hide his online activity. He was described as intensely focused on limiting his digital footprint, using the false name specifically to keep his gun-related purchases from being traced back to him. That pattern, paired with the alias, forms much of the basis for reports pointing to planning ahead of the attack.

Aftermath And Unanswered Questions

Crooks fired shots at the rally on July 13, 2024, killing one bystander and wounding two others, including President Trump, before a Secret Service counter-sniper shot and killed him. Records show an anonymous donor later paid for his cremation, a detail that has drawn attention alongside the alias revelation. Officials have not said who made that payment or why.

Separate FBI witness interviews described an altercation Crooks had with a group of people near the rally site shortly before the shooting, according to records obtained through public records requests. These documents add texture to the timeline of that day but do not change the central facts about the weapon and the purchases behind it.

Why This Story Resonates Beyond Gun Policy

Cases like this test how much the public ever gets to see. Federal law lets agencies withhold parts of investigative files under privacy and law-enforcement exemptions, which is why full records often surface only in pieces over time. That slow drip fuels frustration on both sides of the aisle, since many Americans already doubt whether federal agencies share information openly or promptly.

🚨 BREAKING: Attempted Trump assassin Thomas Crooks had packages of gun parts delivered to him under the pseudonym 'Bob Dole,' and an anonymous donor paid for his body to be cremated, according to federal records obtained by Fox News Digital pic.twitter.com/SXqRhHUHUy

— Mr. Q17thletter (@MrQ_17thletter) September 15, 2026

Straw purchases and hidden identities are not unique to this case. Federal research on illegal gun acquisition found that nearly half of investigated trafficking cases involved some form of straw purchasing or third-party concealment. Crooks’ use of a fake name to obscure his activity fits a pattern federal investigators have flagged for years, even outside cases tied to political violence.

The new details do not change the outcome of that day in Butler. They do add weight to the picture of a young man who spent months preparing, hiding his tracks, and building toward an act that nearly changed American history. For a public already wary of institutions, the slow release of these records underscores how long it can take before the full truth of a major event becomes public.