As the highly anticipated 2024 presidential election looms ahead, questions surrounding the failed assassination attempt of former president Donald Trump continue to swirl. But the parents of the shooter may be cleared of any wrongdoing.
The July 13 shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania sparked a roar of controversy and pointed fingers, with most Republican officials showing sympathy to Trump. Condemnation of the attack was shared across both political parties, including Democratic President Joe Biden. But even though the shooting was accepted as horrific on both sides of the aisle, someone was responsible for it.
After all, the controversial yet wildly popular GOP candidate barely missed taking a bullet through his brain and a heroic rally attendee was killed protecting his family from the shots. The country is fumbling over who to accuse in an effort to obtain justice.
And a few Republicans chose to blame the commander-in-chief himself. Georgia Rep. Mike Collins took to social media shortly after the assassination attempt and called on the Butler County district attorney to “immediately file charges” against Biden for “inciting” the attack. GOP Sen. Rick Scott of Florida also accused Democrats of garnering hatred of Trump, ultimately leading to the attack on his life.
But there are two people who do not appear to be prime suspects of any crime—the parents of the shooter. 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, who was killed by Secret Service agents after he opened fire at Trump’s July 13 campaign rally, lived with his parents at the time of the incident.
According to experts, however, Matthew and Mary Crooks are not likely to be charged with criminal offenses related to their son’s implementation of the attack. Matthew Mangino, a Pennsylvania lawyer, explained that the couple must be proven to have “aided and abetted” Thomas’ plan, which he said might be “difficult” to do “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
But Mangino pointed out that they could still be held accountable for “civil liability,” which he described as “a completely different story.” Civil legal action would need to present evidence that the couple “could have or should have” taken action that might have protected Trump, the public, and the victims—including their son.
Prior to his own assassination attempt, Crooks reportedly Googled Ethan Crumbley, the 15-year-old who killed four and injured seven during a 2021 mass shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan. In that case, both of the shooter’s parents were convicted of multiple involuntary manslaughter counts.
But Crooks was a legal adult at the time of the Trump shooting and, as noted by Utah attorney Brian Stewart, his parents should not be mandated to babysit their adult child “at any” or “all times.” He, too, shared his analysis that Matthew and Mary are “unlikely” to “face criminal or civil liability” connected to their son’s crimes.
Stewart made the deduction based on information that has come out of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) case looking into the circumstances of the shooting. He added that legal battles could be waged against Crooks’ parents if the investigation discovered that his father “transferred” ownership of the gun used at the shooting to his son “illegally” or did so while having reason to believe it would be used in a crime.
But as it stands right now, federal authorities do not have evidence that Crooks was collaborating with others in his assassination attempt, nor do they believe his parents “had any indications” of his motivation to try and kill the former president.
