The images from that Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania, are basically burned into the collective memory of the country. We all saw the chaos, the frantic scramble of the Secret Service, and the aftermath on the rooftop of the AGR International building. But once the dust settled and the initial shock wore off, the legal and medical machinery started turning. People wanted to know the specifics. Specifically, what was the official thomas crooks cause of death?
It wasn't a mystery for long, though the paperwork took a little while to trickle out to the public.
Honestly, the reality is pretty clinical. According to the formal autopsy report released by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office, Thomas Matthew Crooks died from a single gunshot wound to the head. Dr. Ariel Goldschmidt, the Chief Medical Examiner who actually performed the procedure, testified later that the bullet entered through his left upper lip. It was a high-velocity wound. There wasn’t a "hail of bullets" that actually struck him, despite how loud it sounded on the news feeds. Just one shot.
The Timeline of the Final Seconds
To understand how he died, you've gotta look at the literal seconds leading up to it. It was 6:11 p.m. Crooks had already fired eight rounds from his DPMS Panther Arms rifle.
One of those bullets grazed Donald Trump’s ear. Others tragically hit spectators, killing Corey Comperatore and seriously injuring others.
Then, the return fire started.
A local law enforcement officer from the Butler County Emergency Service Unit actually fired first. He didn't kill Crooks, but he hit the stock of Crooks' rifle. That's why you see damage to the gun in the evidence photos the FBI eventually put out. That shot probably rattled him, but it wasn't the fatal blow. About 10 to 12 seconds after Crooks started shooting, a United States Secret Service counter-sniper team—specifically the "Hawkeye" team positioned on a nearby roof—found their mark.
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That was it.
What the Autopsy Actually Found
Dr. Goldschmidt started the autopsy on July 14, 2024, at about 9:15 a.m. It’s a pretty standard, if grim, process. They did X-rays first. The FBI took handprints. They even ran gunshot residue tests on his hands, which obviously came back positive given he’d just fired nearly a dozen rounds.
The medical examiner was very clear:
- Primary Cause: Gunshot wound to the head.
- Manner of Death: Homicide (this is a medical term meaning killed by another person, not a legal judgment of murder).
- Toxicology: They checked for drugs and alcohol. The results were essentially clean.
There's been a lot of internet chatter about whether he was "on something" or if there were underlying health issues. The toxicology report didn't show anything crazy. No hit of "super-soldier" drugs or weird chemicals. Just a 20-year-old kid who, physically speaking, was healthy until those final seconds on the roof.
The Controversy Over the Body
Here is where things get a bit messy and why some people still have conspiracy theories about the thomas crooks cause of death.
About ten days after the shooting, the body was released to the family. They chose cremation.
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This absolutely set off some members of Congress. Representative Clay Higgins, who was part of the task force investigating the assassination attempt, went to Pennsylvania in August 2024 specifically wanting to see the body. He found out it was already gone. He called the FBI’s decision to release the body for cremation "disturbing" and claimed it impeded the investigation.
The FBI’s defense was basically that they had everything they needed. They had the DNA, the X-rays, the photos, and the physical evidence from the autopsy. From their perspective, there was no legal reason to hold a body once the medical examiner had finished their work and signed the death certificate.
Why the Specifics Matter
You might wonder why we're splitting hairs over which bullet hit where. In high-profile cases like this, the ballistics prove the narrative. The fact that it was a single shot from a Secret Service sniper—and that it matched the trajectory from their position—confirmed that the "threat was neutralized" by federal agents, not by a stray local cop or some other third party.
It also puts to rest some of the wilder theories that there was a "second shooter" on the roof with him who took him out to silence him. The medical evidence—the entrance wound on the lip and the path of the bullet—perfectly aligns with the position of the Secret Service counter-sniper team.
Behind the Scenes: The Life He Left
While the thomas crooks cause of death is a closed medical file, the "why" is still being picked apart. The FBI officially closed their investigation in late 2025, and they basically found a kid who lived a double life.
On one hand:
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- He was a dietary aide at a nursing home.
- He had a 1530 SAT score (that's top 1%).
- He was planning to go into an engineering program.
On the other:
- He was using encrypted email services like Mailfence.
- He was hiding his web traffic through Mullvad VPN.
- He was visiting the rally site and practicing at the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club for months.
He didn't leave a manifesto. No "I hate this person" letter. Just a trail of digital breadcrumbs and a lot of planning for a very violent end.
Moving Forward: What We Know Now
If you're looking for the bottom line on what happened to Thomas Crooks, the facts are settled. He was killed by a single, high-velocity shot to the head fired by a Secret Service sniper. The autopsy was thorough, the toxicology was clear, and the body was cremated shortly after the investigation's primary phase ended.
Next Steps for Information:
- Review the FBI Evidence Photos: If you want to see the damage to the rifle stock and the improvised explosives found in his car, the FBI’s Butler Investigation Evidence gallery is the primary source.
- Read the Congressional Task Force Reports: These documents provide the most granular detail on the radio logs and the exact timing of the counter-sniper's shot.
- Check Local Coroner Records: For those interested in the legalities, the Butler County Coroner's public filings confirm the homicide classification and the release of the remains.
The medical side of this story is done. The "how" is answered. It's the "why" that will likely keep historians and investigators busy for years.