Disturbing new evidence has emerged about Thomas Crooks, the man who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally last year. Online accounts linked to Crooks reveal a cache of violent artwork depicting cartoon characters being shot and brutalised.
A Digital Trail of Violence
According to an investigation by the Daily Mail, Crooks is connected to the accounts 'epicmicrowave' and 'theepicmicrowave' on the art-sharing platform DeviantArt. A trawl through internet archives uncovered his own drawings, which depict extreme and graphic violence.
One particularly chilling image, titled 'killing pedos', shows a character standing over two others, one with red hair who has been shot in the face. Another drawing depicts a figure in black executing another by shooting them in the head, labelled 'how he lost his eye'. Further artwork shows characters being struck on the head with a pipe, causing deep gashes, and others clutching various firearms.
The accounts linked to Crooks used 'they/them' pronouns and suggested an interest in cartoon characters with male bodies and female heads. DeviantArt is known for hosting a wide range of user-generated content, including explicit imagery of 'furries'.
Tucker Carlson's Documentary Investigation
This increased scrutiny of Crooks, who was 20 years old when he was killed by Secret Service agents, follows a new documentary by commentator Tucker Carlson. Carlson conducted a deep dive into Crooks' online footprint, examining his political journey from a once vocal Trump supporter to a violent critic.
The documentary claims the FBI misrepresented Crooks as right-wing, despite evidence showing his political shift. By January 2020, Crooks was attacking Trump for his 'stupidity' in YouTube comments and mocking Trump supporters for sounding like a 'cult'.
Alarmingly, Carlson's film reveals that Crooks then began calling for anti-Trump supporters to conduct 'terrorism-style attacks' against the US government. He allegedly outlined methods to 'sneak a bomb' into a government building and 'set it off before anyone sees you'.
Uncovering a Wiped Digital History
Although Crooks' accounts were deactivated after the shooting, Carlson's documentary states an anonymous source obtained data from his YouTube account because it was linked to his cell number. This data reportedly includes his search history, watch history, and 737 public comments that have since vanished.
Authenticity is supported by the account's suspension date: July 14, 2024, the day after the assassination attempt. The documentary also features a never-before-seen clip from Crooks' Google Drive showing him dry firing a handgun in his bedroom.
Carlson's investigation uncovered a series of violent comments from Crooks. In July 2019, he wrote in response to an MSNBC video: 'Illhan Omar and others are invaders and should honestly be killed and their dead bodies sent back.'
His comments grew increasingly graphic, with one stating: 'Everyone of the Trump hating democrats deserve to have their heads chopped of [sic] and put on steaks [sic] for the world to see.' Carlson describes these posts as 'increasingly violent' over several months.
In contrast to this detailed online history, the FBI's official narrative maintains that Crooks acted alone. The agency says it found no clear motive but confirmed he planned the attack and had explored extremist views through his online activity.
