The Bureau actually had a few chances to stop Thomas Crooks before the July 2024 shooting, says former FBI assistant director Chris Swecker. He told the New York Post that the agency missed out on key warning signs in Crooks’ online activity.
Swecker points out that during the last few weeks the Post exposed a series of extremist posts on social‑media platforms that were apparently linked to the gunman. They ranged from threats of political violence to a sudden turnaround in his views on President Trump—who he had previously said he admired.
“If even half of his digital footprint is accurate, the FBI should have been tracking him long before he opened fire on the then‑nominee at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania,” Swecker said. “He was flaring up on sites that ought to have been on their radar.”
According to Swecker, the fact that Crooks was so vocal online didn’t lead to the attention he deserved. “Those were the moments the Bureau should have reacted to,” he added. “The investigation was mishandled and earned me a C‑ grade at best.”
The posts that were recently revealed were particularly disturbing. On YouTube he wrote, for example, “I always believed being patriotic was lining up a bunch of socialist Jews and blasting their useless brains out with an AR.” He also typed “KILL DEMOCRATS,” and called for a “quick, painful death” for members of the so‑called “Squad.” In a separate message he outlined a plan that included “terrorism‑style attacks, sneak a bomb into an essential building and set it off before anyone sees you, track down any important people/politicians/military leaders, etc. and try to assassinate them.”
Swecker says the FBI, even under Director Christopher Wray, was intent on framing the plot as a lone right‑wing extremist attack. “Once the agency had evidence to the contrary, it seemed as if their investigation became biased,” he said. This lack of openness, he believes, helped conspiracy theories spread.
“A little transparency goes a long way in cases like this,” Swecker told the Post, noting that the Bureau’s focus had skewed toward right‑wing threats. “If a left‑wing extremist was behind an attack, that was downplayed.” He stresses that many colleagues shared his view.
When asked for an official comment, the FBI referred the article to a piece about its conclusion that Crooks acted alone.
On Wednesday Representatives Mike Kelly (R‑PA) and Pat Fallon (R‑TX) accused former Director Wray of “stonewalling” the investigation. Swecker responded that what they called stonewalling was actually a missed chance to be more open with the public and educate people about potential threats.
He urged Director Kash Patel to learn from past errors and release all files related to Crooks promptly: “They ought to come out with the full motivation – that’s not classified – and then let’s get it out there.” Swecker also says this is a teaching moment to warn people about the dangers of social‑media radicalization.
The former on‑scene commander in Iraq warns that Crooks’ path to violence shows how foreign enemies could easily use the internet to recruit and radicalize U.S. citizens. “The scariest part of the article was the idea that a hostile intelligence service could look for folks like Crooks, groom them, and weaponize them,” he said. “We know ISIS has done that effectively. Why wouldn’t Russia, China, Iran, or any of our adversaries do the same?”
The threat of foreign‑state radicalization raises the stakes for the FBI, Swecker told the Post, adding: “If you know someone who says, ‘I’m going to kill the President,’ please tell us.”
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