Days After Shooting, Thomas Crooks’ Motives Remain a Mystery

Days after the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, the motives behind would-be assassin Thomas Crooks’ action remain a mystery.

For Context: Crooks appears to have left a very light digital footprint, and so far there has been no release of info regarding a suicide note or writings that may point to potential motives.

Cellphone: The Associated Press (Lean Left bias) reported speaking to a law enforcement official who said his cellphone, which authorities have retrieved, has not lent any meaningful clues related to the motive or possible accomplices. 

Gaming Platforms: Earlier, a now-debunked report spread suggesting Crooks left a foreboding message on the gaming platform Steam before the shooting, however, CNN (Lean Left bias) is now reporting it as false. Crooks allegedly spent time on the gaming platform Discord, but the company said it found “no evidence that it was used to plan this incident, promote violence, or discuss his political views.”

Search History: The New York Times (Lean Left bias) reported that Crooks’ recent search history included both Presidents Biden and Trump and the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. It also reported that he could have scoped out the site six days before the rally. Fox News (Right bias) wrote that FBI director Chris Wray told Congress he also searched for “major depressive disorder.”

Peer Reviews: Reuters (Center bias) reported speaking to some of Crooks’ classmates and university faculty who described him as various things, including thoughtful, quiet, and polite.