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Trump shooter Thomas Crooks' parents unlikely to face criminal charges, experts say

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Trump shooter Thomas Crooks' parents unlikely to face criminal charges, experts say

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Questions about whether the parents of would-be Trump assassin Thomas Crooks could face charges resulting from their son’s shooting crimes have arisen as officials release more information about his secluded personality and lack of a social life.

“You’d have to prove in some way beyond a reasonable doubt that [Crooks’ parents] aided and abetted his ability to plan this attempted assassination or, in some way, knew what he was doing and provided him some means to do it,” Pennsylvania-based attorney Matthew Mangino of Luxenberg, Garbett, Kelly and George told Fox News Digital. “That would be difficult to prove, I would think, beyond a reasonable doubt.”

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Mangino added, however, that “civil liability is a completely different story.” 

Pursuing civil action against Crooks’ parents would require “a preponderance of the evidence that … they could have or should have intervened to protect, not only the former president, but the public,” as well as the victim who died.

TRUMP SHOOTING: TIMELINE OF ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

An undated image of Thomas Matthew Crooks.  (Handout via AFP)

Crooks apparently researched Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley sometime prior to the assassination attempt, a source familiar with the matter previously told Fox News Digital. In Crumbley’s case, both of his parents were charged and convicted on four counts of involuntary manslaughter related to their son’s crimes. One major difference between the Crumbley case and the Crooks case, however, is Crooks’ age. 

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Crooks was 20 when he was fatally shot by snipers while carrying out the assassination attempt on July 13. The FBI said during a Monday press conference call that Crooks’ father legally owned the AR-15 Crooks used to fire at the president and transferred ownership to his son sometime prior to the shooting.

TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: FBI SAYS GUNMAN CLIMBED HVAC, TRAVERSED ROOFTOPS TO SHOOTING PERCH

Pictures of Thomas Mathew Crooks taken by a sniper. (Sen. Ron Johnson’s Office)

Crooks also purchased 25 firearms and six chemical precursors “of materials used to create the explosive devices recovered in the subject’s vehicle and home” after the assassination attempt, said Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge at the FBI Pittsburgh field office.

Crooks’ parents apparently told investigators that he had always been interested in science experiments, so they were used to getting packages addressed to their son at home.

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TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: TEXTS REVEAL OFFICERS WERE AWARE OF CROOKS 90 MINUTES BEFORE SHOOTING

The parents of Thomas Crooks, Matthew and Mary Crooks, return to their home in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)

Crooks’ father, Matthew Crooks, was seen on Monday leaving a Pittsburgh office building that houses two law firms.

He declined to answer questions about whether his family had noticed warning signs before his son’s assassination attempt.

The shooter’s father previously told Fox News Digital that “We’re going to release a statement when our legal counsel advises us to do so – until then, we have no comment. We just want to try to take care of ourselves right now. Please, just give us our space.”

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Matthew Crooks waits outside an office building in Pittsburgh, Monday, July 29, 2024. Matthew Crooks is the father of would-be Trump assassin, Thomas Crooks. (DWS for Fox News Digital)

Brian Stewart, trial attorney at Parker & McConkie in Utah, said “no one” should require parents to supervise an adult “at all times (or at any time).” 

“Based on the updated information the FBI has provided, it appears unlikely that Crooks’ parents will face criminal or civil liability for their son’s actions.”

— Brian Stewart, trial attorney at Parker & McConkie

Rojek said Crooks’ parents have been “extremely cooperative” with the FBI so far in their investigation. FBI officials also do not have evidence suggesting Crooks worked with any coconspirators to carry out his plan.

Investigators visit Thomas Crooks’ neighbor. (Derek Shook/Fox News Digital)

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“If the ongoing investigation were to reveal that Crooks’ father transferred the AR-15 to his son illegally or had some reason to expect it would be used to commit a crime, then criminal charges or civil claims could be possible,” Stewart said. “However, so far, the FBI reports that they have not found any information tying anyone else to the attack and do not believe that his parents had any indications of his plans to attempt to assassinate Trump.”

Stewart also said that if “any proof is found that the parents were in any way aware of the son’s plans to assassinate Trump, or if the parents were reckless in ignoring any alarming behavior or activities, a case against the parents could be made, and its success would obviously depend on the strength of the evidence.”

PENNSYLVANIA SWAT SNIPER SAYS TRUMP SHOOTER ‘JUST SEEMED OUT OF PLACE’ AS OFFICER WARNED OF GUNMAN BEFOREHAND

FBI agents visited the home of would-be Trump assassin Thomas Crooks’ home in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. (AFP | Reuters/Aaron Josefczyk)

Nicole Brenecki, a New York City-based attorney, also pointed to Crooks’ age as a potential issue in filing criminal charges against his parents.

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“Following the sentencing of James and Jennifer Crumbley in the Michigan school shooting case, the DA may consider bringing charges against the father of the Trump shooter. The biggest weakness of such a case would be Matthew Thomas Crooks’ age. He was almost 21 at the time of the shooting,” Brenecki said.

The FBI on Monday described Crooks as a “loner” and “highly intelligent,” citing his college education and his ability to hold a full-time job. Officials are still working to determine Crooks’ motive in the assassination attempt against Trump.

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Maine

Housing affordability key issue in Maine’s housing crisis, report shows

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Housing affordability key issue in Maine’s housing crisis, report shows


A new report is showing some progress when it comes to housing in Maine, but affordability continues to remain a key challenge.

According to a report by MaineHousing, the income needed to afford a median priced home in the state has increased 187 percent between 2015 and 2024.

In that same period, the state’s median income only went up 44 percent.

The rental market has not fared better, as it is affected by the dramatically increased cost of real estate across Maine, according to the report.

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Despite MaineHousing’s record success in 2025 with its first-time homebuyer program, the demand from homebuyers continues to outstrip the supply of homes for sale.

While year-over-year price increases were lower than in the recent past, the supply pressure is not likely to ease meaningfully until interest rates tick down more.

Maine home for sale (WGME)

“Maine, a state famous for natural beauty and quality of life, has become an attractive location for telecommuters and retirees who often have larger home-buying budgets than Mainers,” MaineHousing said in the report.

In a look at the state’s homelessness crisis, the report suggests underfunding at homeless service centers is leading to skewed data.

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According to MaineHousing, housing production is one key to solving these problems.

“MaineHousing’s affordable housing production remains well above historical averages, with 755 low and middle-income units coming online in 2025, and a record future production pipeline extending through the next few years,” MaineHousing said in the report.

While affordable housing production is increasing, unpredictable support at the federal and state levels and high construction costs could still bring that increase to a halt in future years.

Moving into 2026, Maine shows evidence of progress on several fronts of the housing crisis, but there is still much work to be done.



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Massachusetts

See top 50 highest-paid state workers in Massachusetts in 2025

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See top 50 highest-paid state workers in Massachusetts in 2025


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In 2025, University of Massachusetts employees earned some of the largest salaries among state workers.

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For example, Francisco Martin, head basketball coach at UMass Amherst, made $2.18 million last year, according to the Office of the Comptroller’s statewide payroll database. Dr. Michael Collins, chancellor of UMass Chan Medical School, made $1.57 million.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts paid a total of $10.89 billion to state employees in 2025, including $1.82 billion to UMass employees, $955.4 million to MBTA employees, $680.68 million to trial court employees and $486.19 million to Department of Developmental Services employees.

The public payroll also lists the 2025 salaries for Gov. Maura Healey, Attorney General Andrea Campbell and other public officials. They didn’t make the top 50, but their pay is listed below.

Check out the 50 highest-paid Massachusetts state workers in 2025.

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50 highest-paid state workers in MA in 2025

Here were the 50 highest-paid Massachusetts state workers in 2025, according to the statewide payroll:

  1. Francisco Martin – UMass Head Basketball Coach ($2.18 million)
  2. Michael Collins – UMass Chan Medical School Chancellor, Senior Vice President of Health Sciences ($1.57 million)
  3. Joseph Harasymiak – UMass Head Football Coach ($1.41 million)
  4. Terence Flotte – UMass Chan Medical School Executive Deputy Chancellor & Provost, T.H. Chan School of Medicine Dean ($1.18 million)
  5. Partha Chakrabarti – UMass Chan Medical School Executive Vice Chancellor for Innovation & Business Development ($1.01 million)
  6. Ryan Bamford – UMass Athletic Director ($912,226)
  7. Martin Meehan – UMass President ($879,454)
  8. Lisa Colombo – UMass Chan Medical School Executive Vice Chancellor of ForHealth Consulting ($821,872)
  9. Javier Reyes – UMass Amherst Chancellor ($731,684)
  10. Donald Brown – Former UMass Head Football Coach ($705,440)
  11. Gregory Carvel – UMass Hockey Coach ($701,048)
  12. Marcelo Suarez-Orozco – UMass Boston Chancellor ($699,908)
  13. John Lindstedt – UMass Chan Medical School Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration & Finance ($699,175)
  14. Kenneth Rock – UMass Chan Medical School Chair in Biomedical Research ($692,780)
  15. Katherine Fitzgerald – UMass Chan Medical School Department of Medicine Vice Chair ($676,959)
  16. Gregory Volturo – UMass Chan Medical School Chair in Emergency Medicine ($644,380)
  17. Mark Fuller – UMass Dartmouth Chancellor ($626,750)
  18. Anne Massey – UMass Isenberg School of Management Dean ($599,242)
  19. Peter Reinhart – UMass Institute for Applied Life Sciences Founding Director ($574,265)
  20. Julie Chen – UMass Lowell Chancellor ($549,614)
  21. Andrew McCallum – UMass Center for Data Science & Artificial Intelligence Director ($544,451)
  22. David Flanagan – UMass Chan Medical School Deputy Executive Vice Chancellor for Facilities Management ($533,562)
  23. Donald Towsley – UMass Quantum Information Systems Institute Director ($528,922)
  24. Fouad Abd-El-Khalick – UMass Provost, Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs ($515,870)
  25. Lisa Calise – UMass Senior Vice President for Administration & Finance, Treasurer ($511,275)
  26. Phillip Eng – MBTA General Manager ($509,114)
  27. James Healy – UMass Chan Deputy Vice Chancellor for Management ($496,647)
  28. Adam Wise – UMass Boston Vice Chancellor for University Advancement ($491,793)
  29. Mindy Hull – Massachusetts Chief Medical Examiner ($491,017)
  30. Roger Davis – UMass Chan Medical School Program in Molecular Medicine Chair ($486,238)
  31. Celia Schiffer – UMass Institute for Applied Life Sciences Chair of Biochemistry & Molecular Biotechnology ($478,484)
  32. Jeroan Allison – UMass Chan Medical School Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences Chair ($477,782)
  33. Craig Mello – UMass Chan Medical School Chair in Molecular Medicine ($476,992)
  34. Mary Ahn – UMass Chan Medical School Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs ($475,597)
  35. James Watkins – UMass Associate Vice Chancellor for Research & Engagement, Strategic Research Initiatives ($474,133)
  36. David McManus – UMass Chan Professor and Chair of Medicine ($471,586)
  37. Richard Gregory – UMass Chan Medical School Department of Molecular, Cell & Cancer Biology Chair ($469,918)
  38. Maxwell Mayer – UMass Chan Medical School Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences ($469,843)
  39. Sanjay Raman – UMass Dean of Engineering ($468,972)
  40. Nefertiti Walker – UMass Senior Vice President for Academic & Student Affairs & Equity ($462,152)
  41. Fousseni Chabi-Yo – UMass Isenberg School of Management Finance Department Chair ($461,411)
  42. Murugappan Muthukumar – UMass Wilmer D. Barrett Professor ($460,783)
  43. Mark Johnson – UMass Chan Medical School Chair in Neurosurgery ($458,421)
  44. Hong Yu – UMass Lowell Center of Biomedical and Health Research in Data Sciences Director ($458,025)
  45. Sheldon Zhang – UMass Lowell School of Criminology and Justice Studies Professor ($453,950)
  46. Albertha Walhout – UMass Chan Medical School Department of Systems Biology Chair, Chair in Biomedical Research ($450,591)
  47. Zhiping Weng – UMass Chan Medical School Chair in Biomedical Research ($450,591)
  48. Beth McCormick – UMass Chan Medical School Department of Microbiology Chair ($450,591)
  49. Shlomo Zilberstein – UMass Amherst Professor of Computer Science ($450,108)
  50. Abdallah Georges Assaf – UMass Isenberg School of Management Professor ($447,486)

How much did Gov. Maura Healey make in 2025?

Gov. Maura Healey did not break the top 50, making $242,509 as a state employee in 2025, according to the payroll.

Her salary increased from $222,185 in 2024 and $220,288 in 2023.

How much did Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll make in 2025?

Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll made $216,292 in 2025, according to the state payroll.

Her salary increased from $198,165 in 2024 and $187,952 in 2023.

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How much did Attorney General Andrea Campbell make in 2025?

Attorney General Andrea Campbell made $223,495 as a state employee in 2025, according to the official payroll.

This salary is up from $222,639 in 2024 and $203,401 in 2023.

How much did Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble make in 2025?

Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble made $292,711 in 2025, according to the state payroll. Noble was named colonel in October 2024.

How much did Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin make in 2025?

Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin made $202,427 as a state employee in 2025, according to the payroll.

In 2024, he made $201,850, and in 2023, he made $187,433.

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How much did State Treasurer and Receiver General Deborah B. Goldberg make in 2025?

State Treasurer and Receiver General Deborah B. Goldberg made $260,637 in 2025, according to the state payroll.

Goldberg made $238,794 in 2024 and $236,901 in 2023.

How much did State Auditor Diana DiZoglio make in 2025?

State Auditor Diana DiZoglio made $253,494 in 2025, according to the state payroll.

Her salary increased from $229,377 in 2024 and $213,224 in 2023.

How much did former State Police Trooper Michael Proctor make in 2025?

Now-former State Police Trooper Michael Proctor made $3,617 in 2025, according to the state payroll.

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Proctor, who served as the lead investigator in the Karen Read case, was put on unpaid leave in July 2024 and then fired in March, accused of violating four department policies.

In 2024, Proctor was paid $79,266, and in 2023, he was paid $146,053.



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New Hampshire

NH dog facility owner charged with animal cruelty after video surfaces online

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NH dog facility owner charged with animal cruelty after video surfaces online


A 26-year-old woman, who owns a dog training and kennel facility in Brentwood, New Hampshire, has been arrested after a video surfaced online showing apparent animal cruelty in Methuen, Massachusetts.

Brentwood police notified the Methuen Police Department about the video on Jan. 2. A preliminary investigation then identified the woman in the video as Maddison Eastman.

Police obtained an arrest warrant for Eastman on two counts of animal cruelty, and she turned herself into Lawrence District Court last Wednesday.

Eastman was arraigned Friday. Information from her court appearance wasn’t immediately available, and officials haven’t released further details about what Eastman allegedly did.

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Methuen police said they’ll have no further comment at this time and referred all inquiries to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office.



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