Trump Shooter’s Online Activity Reveals Mixed Clues About Motive, Mental Health

Authorities combing through the online search history of the man who shot former President Donald Trump have reportedly found clues suggesting that he may have had a depressive disorder and that Trump wasn’t the only public figure he was keeping his eyes on.

Thomas Matthew Crooks had searched “major depressive disorder” on his electronic devices and looked up dates of Trump’s appearances and the Democratic National Convention before opening fire at Saturday’s Trump rally in Pennsylvania, The New York Times reported, citing officials with knowledge of the ongoing investigation.

In addition to Trump, the 20-year-old shooter who was killed by law enforcement also searched for President Joe Biden and several other political figures, including a British royal whom authorities did not identify.

In phone conversations with members of Congress on Wednesday, FBI officials said Crooks appeared to be broadly interested in powerful and famous people and that he didn’t seem to have any obvious political leanings. He also looked up FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland, according to the Times.

Authorities in their call with lawmakers also addressed ominous messages found posted on the gaming website Steam that appeared to foreshadow the shooting. Those messages are believed to be fake, however, law enforcement officials said.

“July 13 will be my premiere, watch as it unfolds,” someone posted on the gaming platform, according to Fox News.

According to a review of the poster’s user profile by NBC News, the account that made that comment changed its name to Thomas M. Crooks on Sunday, a day after the shooting.

A law enforcement official briefed on the ongoing investigation toldThe Associated Press that there