Northeast
Trump shooter Thomas Crooks' parents unlikely to face criminal charges, experts say
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.”
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.
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.
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.”
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.”
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)
“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.
“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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Boston, MA
Red Sox lefty makes latest rehab start, close to forcing tough decision
What are the Red Sox going to do with Patrick Sandoval?
The veteran left-hander has yet to appear in a big league game for the Red Sox, having missed his first season and a half with the organization while working his way back from Tommy John surgery. But after a deliberate ramp up throughout the spring and then an April setback Sandoval is now nearing a return to the big league roster.
Sandoval made the fifth start of his current rehab assignment Sunday for the WooSox, allowing one run over four innings on three hits, a walk and three strikeouts. He threw 60 pitches, a slight uptick from the 53 he threw over 3 1/3 innings his last time out on Tuesday.
Under MLB rules rehab assignments for a pitcher can last up to 30 days, which means there’s only enough time for Sandoval to make one more start before the Red Sox would have to either activate him or designate him for assignment. Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said Sandoval might make one more start in the minors, but he acknowledged a decision will have to be made soon.
“There’s still room to get the count built up some more,” Tracy said. “He got to 60 today and there’s probably room for another one to get it further and then we have to have a conversation after that.”
The Red Sox likely won’t want to lose Sandoval, but how he fits in roster-wise is tricky. The Red Sox starting rotation has been on a roll recently, and the most likely candidate to be optioned is rookie left-hander Jake Bennett, who has pitched brilliantly since coming up to fill Brayan Bello’s spot.
Boston could also insert Sandoval into the bullpen, but the Red Sox are likely about to get fellow left-hander Jovani Moran back off the injured list, and long reliever Ryan Watson can’t be optioned as a Rule 5 pick without being DFA’d himself.
Tracy said those will be issues the Red Sox will have to sort out, but noted that these sorts of logjams often have a way of working themselves out.
“Having depth is a good thing and it’s been tested for us, we had depth when Brayan went down and you know he’s down there and he’s got a specific purpose and mind of trying to get it right, well we’re kind of out of starting depth,” Tracy said. “So getting Sandy helps us in that way, but what we’re going to do yet we haven’t gotten that deep into it but obviously it’s looming.”
Extra innings
Left-hander Jovani Moran (left elbow inflammation) made his second rehab appearance for the WooSox on Sunday, retiring all six batters he faced on just 14 pitches over two perfect innings. Tracy said the club hasn’t decided if Moran will need another rehab outing before he’s activated. … Tracy said shortstop Trevor Story (sports hernia) is continuing to make progress but likely won’t start a rehab assignment before the All-Star break. … Right-hander Kutter Crawford (right wrist surgery recovery) is in the early stages of his throwing program in Fort Myers but remains a long way off from a return.
Pittsburg, PA
Cincinnati Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Game Delayed on Sunday
The Cincinnati Reds are in a rain delay for the second consecutive day. Saturday’s rain delay came before the game even started. Sunday’s rain delay occurred in the bottom of the 8th inning.
“The tarp is on the field, and we are in a delay here at PNC,” the Pirates official account posted on X. “We’ll update when we have info.”
Update: The grounds crew is taking the tarp off the field and the game is expected to resume around 5:20 ET.
The Pittsburgh Pirates lead the Reds 5-4 in the 8th.
Let’s take a look at how we got there.
Game Recap
In the second inning, Esmerlyn Valdez hit a ground-rule double off Reds starting pitcher Brady Singer that scored Nick Gonzalez, giving the Pirates an early 1-0 lead.
Later in the inning, former Red Tyler Callihan hit his third home run of the year, giving Pittsburgh a 4-0 lead.
However, in the fourth, the Reds would battle back. After Elly De La Cruz reached on an error and Sal Stewart singled, JJ Bleday added a single of his own that would score both, making it a 4-2 Pittsburgh advantage.
The Reds continued to rally in the fifth. After Noelvi Marte walked, Tyler Stephenson stayed hot with an RBI double to left field, getting the Reds back within a run.
Edwin Arroyo followed with an RBI single of his own that tied the game at 4.
The Pirates got a run back in the bottom half of the fifth when Ryan O’Hearn hit his 12th home run of the season. That would be it for Singer, who gave up five runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out six and did not walk a batter.
The Pirates had a big opportunity to break the game wide open in the seventh when Zach McCambley walked the bases loaded. Reds manager Terry Francona brought in Brock Burke, who was miraculously able to get out of the jam with a pop-up and an inning-ending double play.
The Reds had a big chance to tie the game in the 8th when they had runners on first and second with nobody out. However, Nathaniel Lowe popped out, Spencer Steer flew out, and Noelvi Marte grounded out to end the threat.
Pierce Johnson was set to come in the game for the Reds when the game entered a rain delay.
We will provide an update as we know more.
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Connecticut
2 years since DOT worker, Andrew DiDomenico was killed in Wallingford work zone crash
WALLINGFORD, Conn. (WFSB) – The Connecticut Department of Transportation is marking two years since the death of Andrew DiDomenico, a DOT worker killed in a work zone crash on June 28, 2024, in Wallingford.
DiDomenico, 26, of Meriden, was struck and killed while working along the shoulder of the Wharton Brook Connector of Interstate 91.
Denise Lucibello, 55, of East Haven, was driving under the influence when her vehicle left the roadway and struck him, according to the state’s attorney’s office.
Lucibello was sentenced to 10 years in prison, execution suspended after five years served, followed by five years of probation. She pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and operating a motor vehicle under the influence.
“The defendant chose to drive under the influence and because of that choice, a young life full of promise was senselessly taken,” State’s Attorney John P. Doyle Jr. said.
DiDomenico’s family started the Andrew DiDomenico Memorial Foundation to honor his legacy and provide scholarships and donations in his name.
CT DOT continues to remind drivers to keep others in mind on the road and themselves.
“Roadside workers put themselves at risk every time they step onto a job site, and it’s on all of us to keep them safe. Drive sober, put the phone away, and slow down and move over in work zones. Lives depend on it.”
Copyright 2026 WFSB. All rights reserved.
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