Trump shooter Thomas Crooks may have been struggling with mental illness: Report
Thomas Matthew Crooks
Gunman Thomas Crooks, who attempted to assassinate former United States President Donald Trump, may have been struggling with an undiagnosed mental health disorder - including some form of depression, a report in the New York Posthas claimed.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is currently going through the sparse digital footprint left by Crooks. Although it is not clear if he ever sought professional mental health treatment, his internet history includes searchesfor major depressive disorder.
Crooks being depressed may fit with his character profile that has emerged in the wake of the failed assassination bid.
According to reports, the 20-year-oldwas a loner - an outcast in school who often sat alone in the cafeteria, looking down at his phone.He was bullied by his classmates and had an active interest in guns and firearms with some reports claiming that he had unsuccessfully tried out for the school's rifle team.
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What has the investigation revealed so far?
The FBI on Wednesday informed members of Congress that Crooks had searched for Trump as well as President Joe Biden in the lead-up to the events of July 13.
FBI added that the 20-year-oldsearched fordates of Trump appearances and the Democratic National Convention (DNC) where Democrats are expected to certify Biden's nomination for the president.
However, the premier security agency of the US could not decipher the motive behind the shooting as Crooks had not posted anything incendiary for either side of the political spectrum.
There is still some 4.5 terabytes of data across a laptop, USB drives and two cell phones that the FBI needs to sift through to provide a conclusive picture of the 20-year-old'sintention.
Also read |Trump shooter Thomas Crooks was a 'nice kid' who got 'bullied so much' reveal his former classmates
Crooks was killed by the US Secret Service (SS)after he fired multiple rounds from an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle in a bid toassassinate Trump. The former president was saved by mere inches as the bullet meant for his head, only grazed the top portion of his right ear.
The 20-year-old shooter fired from a building, only 130 metres away from the Republican leader despite being well inside the security perimeter of Secret Service, FBI and local law enforcement agencies.
Crooks had also placed explosivesin his car and reports indicate that he planned to blow it up after surviving the immediate aftermath of the assassination attempt.
(With inputs from agencies)