--- title: "Thomas Crooks texted about 3D‑printed gun parts and drone photos" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/thomas-crooks-texted-about-3dprinted-gun-parts-and-drone-photos" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/thomas-crooks-texted-about-3dprinted-gun-parts-and-drone-photos" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/thomas-crooks-texted-about-3dprinted-gun-parts-and-drone-photos.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/thomas-crooks-texted-about-3dprinted-gun-parts-and-drone-photos" category: "Conflict & Security" area: "United States" published: "2026-10-03T00:25:15.921Z" source_reported: "2026-10-02T23:51:51.000Z" updated: "2026-10-03T00:25:15.921Z" trust_score: 86 critic_score: 95 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-03T01:29:35.160Z" --- # Thomas Crooks texted about 3D‑printed gun parts and drone photos *FOIA‑released FBI records show the gunman discussed 3D‑printing with an unknown contact, his father described a carbon‑fiber Glock, and a drone captured images of two Pennsylvania stadiums.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 86 of 100, higher is better. Multiple named sources, official FBI FOIA documents, and two independent full reports corroborate the communications. - Craft 95 of 100, higher is better. Clear reporting with quotes, specific dates, and explanation of relevance, keeping facts separate from speculation. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Body presents facts without sensational language; headline is more attention‑grabbing than article. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Thomas Crooks texted an unknown contact about 3D‑printed gun parts, confirming he printed all but the fan blades. - Crooks’ father said his son once built a carbon‑fiber Glock 19 with a dryer and toaster oven and fired a single round. - FBI records show Crooks piloted a drone in February 2024, photographing PNC Park and Acrisure Stadium and other western Pennsylvania sites. - Judicial Watch released the 249‑page record set after a FOIA request and Senate Judiciary Committee review. Federal documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request show that Thomas Crooks, the man who attempted to assassinate President Trump, exchanged text messages with an “unknown contact” about 3D‑printed parts. An unknown contact asked, “Did you 3D print the parts?” and Crooks replied, “Yes, except for the fan blades.” The exchange later shifted to discussion of coursework at different colleges. Crooks’ father, Matthew Crooks, told investigators that his son owned a 3D printer and once used carbon‑fiber plastic, a dryer and a toaster oven to create a Glock 19. He said Thomas test‑fired a single round before stopping because he feared the frame could explode, and that he did not allow his son to use the weapon. The same FBI files contain drone flight logs and images extracted from Crooks’ device. Between 6 February and 27 February 2024, Crooks captured aerial photographs of PNC Park and Acrisure Stadium, the homes of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Steelers, as well as railroad tracks and other locations around western Pennsylvania. > Did you 3D print the parts? > > — unknown contact, text message **249 pages** — Length of FBI document release (Obtained by Judicial Watch via FOIA) ## What the coverage left out No left‑rated outlet ran the story, leaving the left side of the media landscape without coverage of these newly released FBI records. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 14% (1) - Right: 86% (6) 0 of 7 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-03T01:29:35.160Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 8 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-03T02:15:30.009Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre - Internewscast reported the full text exchange, the father’s testimony about the carbon‑fiber Glock, and the February drone photographs of the two stadiums. It quoted the unknown contact’s question, “Did you 3D print the parts?” and the follow‑up “Woah that looks cool.” The outlet also included a statement from Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton urging the FBI to release the complete record. ### Right - The New York Post led on the same exchange, the father’s description of the 3D‑printed Glock, and the drone images of PNC Park and Acrisure Stadium, reproducing the same quoted messages. Digests from RealNewsNow, Breitbart, [your]NEWS and The Gateway Pundit each noted that Judicial Watch obtained a 249‑page set of FBI records detailing the chat thread and drone flights, but they did not add further wording beyond the basic facts. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - veryLow: 1 - low: 1 - mixed: 5 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Internewscast](https://internewscast.com/news/trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-texted-about-3d-printer-and-gifts) — Trump Gunman Thomas Crooks Texted About 3D Printer and 'Gifts - [realnewsnow.com](https://realnewsnow.com/new-fbi-records-reveal-thomas-crooks-texted-mystery-contacts-about-3d-printed-parts-and-gifts) — New FBI Records Reveal Thomas Crooks Texted Mystery Contacts About 3D-Printed Parts and ‘Gifts’ - Real News Now - [New York Post](https://nypost.com/2026/10/02/us-news/would-be-trump-assassin-thomas-crooks-texted-mystery-persons-about-his-3d-printer-and-gifts) — Would-be Trump assassin Thomas Crooks texted mystery persons about his 3D printer and ‘gifts’ - [Breitbart](https://breitbart.com/politics/2026/10/02/fbi-records-reveal-trump-gunmans-redacted-chat-thread-drone-photos) — FBI Records Reveal Crooks' Redacted Chat Thread - [[your]NEWS](https://yournews.com/2026/10/02/7214438/new-fbi-records-detail-thomas-crooks-redacted-chats-drone-flights) — New FBI Records Detail Thomas Crooks’ Redacted Chats, Drone Flights and Hong Kong Shipment Notice - [The Gateway Pundit](https://thegatewaypundit.com/2026/10/new-records-obtained-judicial-watch-reveal-thomas-crooks) — New FBI Records Obtained by Judicial Watch Reveal Thomas Crooks’ Mysterious Chat Thread with Unidentified Person and Drone Pictures * The Gateway Pundit * by Cristina Laila - [TMZ](https://tmz.com/2026/10/02/trump-shooter-texted-with-unknown-contact-about-3d-printed-parts) — Trump Shooter Texted with 'Unknown Contact' About 3D-Printed Parts Before Attempted Assassination ## Questions **What did the texts between Crooks and the unknown contact contain?** The FOIA‑released messages show the unknown contact asked Crooks if he 3D printed the parts and Crooks answered yes, except for the fan blades. The conversation later moved to college coursework and included occasional coded strings. **Did Crooks actually build a functional firearm?** Crooks’ father told investigators that his son once created a Glock 19 from carbon‑fiber plastic, a dryer and a toaster oven, and that he fired a single round before stopping because he feared the frame could explode. He also said he did not let his son use the gun. **What locations did Crooks photograph with his drone?** The FBI records indicate that between 6 February and 27 February 2024 Crooks photographed PNC Park and Acrisure Stadium, as well as railroad tracks and other sites around western Pennsylvania. **Who released the FBI documents and how were they obtained?** Judicial Watch obtained the 249‑page set of FBI records through a Freedom of Information Act request and then released them publicly. The documents were later reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. 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