Anonymous Donor Paid for Crooks' Cremation

Someone paid the bill for Thomas Matthew Crooks' funeral. An anonymous donor covered the cremation costs just days after the deadly shooting. The family was broke, so a stranger stepped in. What actually happened is a mystery that federal records now expose.

Federal records reviewed by the New York Post show the truth. The gunman's father, Matthew Crooks, was unemployed at the time. His wife was on leave from her job. The family could not afford the funeral arrangements. A note in the file states clearly: "Anonymous donor paid for cremation," per reports.

This revelation came from documents given to Senator Chuck Grassley. He is leading an inquiry into the security failure. The details surfaced in an interview summary with the father. It explains why the body was released so quickly. The FBI turned over the remains less than two weeks after the event.

Rep. Clay Higgins was angry about the speed. He wrote a letter calling it a "disturbing fact." He tried to examine the body on August 5, 2024. The FBI had already released it for cremation ten days after July 13. The body was gone before he could see it.

The documents reveal more than just money. They show a boy who was different from birth. His father told investigators, "When Thomas was born he did not scream and he was always quiet from that point on," per reports. This trait lasted his whole life.

Matthew Crooks said he never really had a bond with his son. The boy rarely laughed or showed strong emotions. He was intelligent but hard to read. He scored a 1400 on his SATs without studying. Later, he improved to a near-perfect 1500. Despite his smarts, he had trouble with teachers.

Thomas used a fake name for his online orders. He called himself "Bob Dole" to hide his history. He bought parts and tools to increase his rifle's capacity. He even used special software to avoid hackers. His father noted the boy believed a fake name would keep him safe. That logic was wrong, but Thomas stuck to it.

Who paid for the funeral remains unknown. The New York Post could not reach Matthew Crooks for comment. The family's financial situation was clear, but the donor is not. This leaves a gap in the story of that July day.

Thomas Crooks opened fire at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. He grazed Trump in the ear and killed one person. He died moments later from Secret Service gunfire. The FBI found no foreign link to his actions. They accessed his 35 digital accounts easily.