The 20-year-old loner who attempted to assassinate former President Trump on Saturday had an account on the encrypted app Discord, a sign that he preferred anonymous interactions to real-world relationships, experts told Fox News Digital.
A spokesperson for the platform confirmed that Thomas Matthew Crooks had an account and that it had been deactivated by Discord following the assassination attempt that injured Trump and killed a rally attendee.
“It was used on rare occasions, hasn't been used in months, and we've found no evidence that it was used to plan this incident, promote violence, or discuss political views,” the spokesperson said. “Discord strongly condemns violence of any kind, including political violence, and we will continue to coordinate closely with law enforcement.”
Fox News learned Wednesday night that Crooks had typed a disturbing message on the gaming platform Steam: “July 13th is my premiere, watch how it plays out.” His laptop also had searches in early July about Trump, Biden, when the DNC convention is and Trump’s July 13 rally.
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Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old who attempted to assassinate former President Trump on Saturday, had an account on the encrypted app Discord. (AFP brochure)
Jim Clemente, a retired FBI agent and behavioral analysis expert, said the Discord community is especially popular among gamers and Crooks' use of it is no surprise.
“It's encrypted, so it provides a level of privacy and anonymity,” he said. “So, someone who might feel marginalized, a loner who feels bullied, those types of people, it's very common for them to spend more time online interacting with others rather than in the real world because their experiences with the real world are so negative.”
Crooks, who graduated from Bethel Park High School in Pennsylvania in 2022, was bullied relentlessly for his appearance and awkward social manners, classmates told multiple outlets.
One colleague said he often sat alone at lunch and was teased mercilessly.
“I'm not surprised that he has a Discord account and not a Facebook account, which is very interactive and image-based and extremely social,” Clemente said. “Discord is a more private way to communicate.”
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Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump appears immediately after shots were heard during his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. (Reuters/Brendan McDermid)
Former FBI profiler Mary Ellen O'Toole also highlighted Discord's popularity among avid gamers and said Crooks may well have been a regular gamer.
“It's a fantasy life,” she said. “They get lost in it and it makes them feel like they're great men. If he was really active, that would be one thing, but the fact that he wasn't, we just don't know much about him. He's the kind of person you'd walk past without even blinking. He was so nondescript.”
O'Toole also noted that Crooks appeared to have a very limited presence on social media.
“If you're bullied in real life at school, you don't risk being bullied online,” he said. “It's called social media for a reason. You're socializing with other people in a society, and this kid was a loner and possibly because he was bullied so much for his appearance and the way he dressed.”
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Thomas Matthews Crooks opened fire on former President Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. (Google Maps/brochure/cables)
O'Toole said young people who are seemingly mute are often angry inside.
“The ones you have to worry about are the quiet ones, because you don't know what they're thinking,” she said. “That statement really applies to this situation. The agency has their computers, they have their phone. Their parents have been very cooperative. If they're the type of person who writes down their thoughts in any way, it's going to come out.”
Clemente said his parents, both counselors, seemed oblivious to the level of his internal torment.
Crooks, he said, probably knew he would not emerge from the incident alive.
“I think he knew he wouldn't survive this event and he wanted to make as much of a splash as possible in the process,” she said. “I know he probably thought it was a fluke that an opportunity presented itself so close to home and that he could take advantage of it.”
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Thomas Matthew Crooks is shown graduating from Bethel Park High School in Pennsylvania in 2022. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
Gunmen opened fire from a rooftop during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, severing Trump's right ear and killing volunteer fire chief Corey Comperatore.
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Two other people were injured before Secret Service agents shot and killed Crooks.
Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
