A TikTok screenshot shared on Facebook claims Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old man who opened fire on 2024 Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump’s July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, purportedly had $1.5 million in three offshore bank accounts.
Verdict: False
The claim is false. A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) denied the claim’s validity to Check Your Fact via email.
Fact Check:
Crooks’ official cause of death is homicide as a result of a single gunshot wound to the head, Butler County Coroner William Young recently ruled, according to USA Today. Crooks was killed by a counter-sniper team after he opened fire on Trump’s July 13 campaign rally, the outlet reported.
The screenshot, which has been shared 15,000 times as of writing, claims Crooks had $1.5 million in three offshore bank accounts. “So who opened his 3 bank accounts offshore?” text overlay on a photo of Crooks begins. “One in Switzerland, one in the Cayman Islands and one in Singapore totaling 1.5 millions [sic] dollars. So he is not a lone wolf!” it continues.
The claim is false. Statements released by the FBI regarding their investigation of Crooks do not mention anything about the 20-year-old shooter having money in offshore bank accounts. In their July 14 statement, the Bureau identified Crooks as the shooter who opened fire on Trump’s campaign rally. Similarly, on July 15, the Bureau stated they’d gained access to Crooks’ electronic devices and completed searches of his house and car. The Bureau also indicated they’d conducted almost 100 interviews related to the investigation.
Likewise, former U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle did not mention the claim regarding Crooks purportedly having offshore bank accounts when she testified before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on July 22. FBI Director Christopher Wray also did not repeat the claim when he testified before the House Judiciary Committee two days later on July 24.
In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On July 31, Lead Stories reported the claim was false. (RELATED: No, Pete Souza Wasn’t Suspended From X For Claiming Trump Wasn’t Hit By A Bullet)
Furthermore, a spokesperson for the FBI denied the claim’s validity to Check Your Fact via email.
“The investigation to date has not uncovered any evidence that the shooter had overseas bank accounts. Our investigation is continuing,” the same spokesperson said.
Although Crooks did not have money in offshore bank accounts, he did use at least three encrypted messaging applications ahead of the shooting, The Record reported. The FBI is still trying to gain access to the accounts, Wray indicated during his July 24 testimony, according to the outlet.