Sources told The Washington Post that suspect Thomas Matthew Crooks may have been suffering from undiagnosed mental illness, including some form of depression, before he opened fire at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania.
There is no clear evidence that Crooks, 20, has received professional mental health treatment, but investigators have uncovered his digital footprint, which includes internet searches related to major depressive disorder.
Crooks is also believed to have obsessive-compulsive disorder, an aptitude for mechanical or technical things, including firearms, and fits the profile of a loner or outcast whose life has been characterized by isolation and rejection, sources said.
The investigation so far has shown that Crooks had virtually no online presence, and authorities are focused on combing through his electronic devices to determine why he nearly assassinated former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday.
But the search has been progressing slowly as investigators have a huge amount of material to sift through — 4.5 terabytes in total across a laptop, a USB drive and two mobile phones, according to people familiar with the matter.
An examination of one of the attacker’s mobile phones has so far revealed no clear motive for the young killer, but the web browser history reveals a wide-ranging interest in famous people, celebrities and politicians, regardless of ideology.
In addition to searching for Presidents Trump and Biden, Crooks also searched for FBI Director Christopher Wray, Attorney General Merrick Garland and members of the British Royal Family. The New York Times The report did not specify which royal family.
Mayo Clinic Define Major depressive disorder (commonly known as depression) is defined as “a mood disorder causing persistent feelings of sadness or loss of interest” that “affects the way you feel, think, and behave and can cause a range of emotional and physical problems.”
