Thomas Matthew Crooks wasn’t just a disaffected 20-year-old with a rifle and a grudge. He was planning something far worse—and the FBI now has the receipts to prove it.
Newly released emails reveal that the man who attempted to take down President Trump on July 13 wasn’t content with taking a shot from a rooftop. He was also building an explosive device, using components with destructive power comparable to military-grade ordnance. Crooks wasn’t just a shooter—he was a would-be bomber.
According to Resist The Mainstream and corroborated by CBS News and the Daily Mail, Crooks used an encrypted email account to order over two gallons of nitromethane—an extremely volatile chemical used in explosives—just six months before the Butler, Pennsylvania attack. He placed the order through a website called Hyperfuels. When the order didn’t arrive, Crooks followed up, giving his full name and asking for a status update. This wasn’t idle curiosity. This was someone waiting for his bomb parts.
BREAKING REPORT: Attempted Trump ass-ssin Matthew Crooks' encrypted email reveals he ordered over TWO GALLONS OF NITROMETHANE from Hyperfuels.
Nitromethane is a dangerous substance that can be used in explosives.
When mixed with an oxidizer like ammonium nitrate, it becomes… pic.twitter.com/4W3iFP0Khw
— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) May 24, 2025
The FBI cracked the encryption because Crooks foolishly tied the alias to his student email address at the Community College of Allegheny County. There, he was studying engineering and working on transfer applications to a four-year university. He emailed professors about his enthusiasm for fall classes and seemed like any other aspiring student—until the emails showed him ordering explosives.
Let’s be clear: nitromethane is no joke. When mixed with an oxidizer like ammonium nitrate—or confined and detonated—it produces an explosion on par with TNT. It’s what domestic terrorists and car bombers have used in attacks around the globe. The fact that Crooks had access to this knowledge and was actively pursuing materials raises terrifying questions.
What if that shipment had arrived? Would the July 13 shooting have been a distraction for a larger, deadlier act? Was Trump’s would-be ass-ssin planning a mass casualty bombing?
The FBI needs to answer that. So does DHS. And we’d like to know how a 20-year-old student with zero red flags in his background check managed to buy a sniper rifle, park a car full of explosives at a Trump rally, and get within 450 feet of the President of the United States.
It’s clear Crooks was more than just a lone gunman. He was methodical, calculated, and building something bigger. The tragedy that nearly unfolded was only halted because his bomb didn’t show up in time. That should send a chill down every American spine.
This isn’t just a law enforcement failure—it’s a national security wake-up call.