What makes an assassin? Psychologists take you inside their warped minds - and why Trump's shooting was 'probably NOT political'

When there's a mass shooting, nan slayer often leaves a way of clues. These days, it's usually a sinister manifesto, cries for thief connected societal media aliases incriminating hunt history. 

But Americans person been near pinch oversea of questions and fewer answers successful nan aftermath of an assassination effort connected erstwhile President Donald Trump's life.

The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, has virtually zero online footprint. He has nary known TikTok, Instagram aliases Snapchat. No has nary friends who've travel forward. 

And for illustration different US assassins successful history, his authorities are ambiguous. He was a registered Republican and described by a classmate arsenic 'definitely conservative'. Yet Mr Crooks besides donated a mini sum to a progressive activity successful 2021. 

Dr Rachel Toles, a licensed objective scientist based in California, who specializes successful nan study of convulsive criminals told DailyMail.com that authorities whitethorn person had small to do pinch nan shooting - arsenic astonishing arsenic that whitethorn seem.

From her experience, Dr Toles said that group successful these scenarios often suffer from an highly damaged ego, and person a desire to return retired personification who has what they astir covet - which could beryllium success, fame aliases bully looks. 

It's imaginable that erstwhile President Trump could've represented thing Mr Crooks profoundly desired - fame, occurrence aliases respect.

'Trump gets much attraction than anyone connected nan planet. 

'And now we're talking astir an invisible kid who nary 1 talked to successful schoolhouse unless they were benignant of picking connected him,' Dr Toles said.

She added: 'So we're talking astir personification who feels incredibly invisible, and he's targeting nan astir visible man connected nan planet. 

'So I do deliberation it's much astir that, than it is astir governmental Donald Trump.'

Dr Nicholas Kardaras, who has psychoanalyzed a number of high-profile teenage killers complete nan years, agreed that it could beryllium 'Trump represents nan alpha antheral that he [the shooter] couldn't beryllium successful school.'

But he is not convinced location was no political power astatine play here.

Dr Kardaras said Crooks whitethorn person been radicalized by nan utmost sides of either nan blimpish aliases wide movements.

The killer's aid to Democrats successful 2021 whitethorn connote he was turned disconnected Trump and viewed him arsenic a threat to populist aft nan January 6 riot astatine nan Capitol. 

Or possibly he felt Trump was not blimpish capable during his presidency, which has been a disapproval from nan acold correct this run owed to Trump's softening connected abortion, for example.

Both Dr Kardaras and Dr Toles judge these killers stock much successful communal pinch wide shooters than serial killers aliases group who termination personification successful their individual life. 

Serial killers thin to beryllium motivated by an soul thrust to predominate and hunt different humans - and thin to person precocious aforesaid esteem, Dr Toles said.

By opposition - group who effort to sprout governmental figures aliases return a weapon to a schoolhouse usually are doing truthful successful bid to get attention.

At this point, authorities are unsure what Mr Crooks individual beliefs were.

So experts tin only make predictions based connected what subject has discovered frankincense far.

There's a agelong history of experts from the FBI and academia studying nan minds of convulsive assassins, wide shooters and serial killers. 

Dr Kardaras said nan governmental assassin usually falls into 2 categories - those driven by nan thought that their actions will make ample governmental aliases societal alteration and those who are driven by nan thought that murdering personification will make them 'immortal'. 

Both are apt to person immoderate benignant of intelligence wellness rumor - beryllium it delusions, slump aliases paranoia. 

Take John Wilkes Booth, for example, nan man who murdered erstwhile President Abraham Lincoln successful 1865. 

Mr Booth did truthful nether nan belief that sidesplitting President Lincoln would lead to a revitalization of nan South aft nan Civil War, Dr Kardaras said. 

He convinced himself that his actions could alteration nan people of history. 

But assassins are overmuch much apt to beryllium driven by attention, infamy and a wide wishful thinking that execution will make them 'somebody' than by politics, for illustration Mr Booth was. 

Take assassins for illustration John Hinckley Jr - who attempted to sprout erstwhile President Ronald Regan, believing that doing truthful would impressment nan actress Jodie Foster, whom he had go fixated connected after seeing her execute successful nan movie Taxi Driver. 

Mr Hinckley called his effort connected President Regan's life, 'the top emotion offering successful nan history of nan world.' 

Other examples of this type of assassin are Mark Chapman, who murdered John Lennon in bid to bring attraction to nan Book The Catcher successful nan Rye and free of nan world of nan 'biggest phony of them all'.

They are convinced that their actions will fulfill immoderate their illusion desires are - aliases will fulfill their heavy desire for attention. 

It could beryllium that Mr Crooks was successful this camp, quiet for attention, Dr Toles said. 

According nan Secret Service Exception Case Study Project, which is 1 of nan astir extended study of assassins aliases attempted assassins, galore much assassins are driven by delusions and fame than by a desire to alteration nan governmental landscape. 

Study writer and psychologist Robert Fein, who interviewed 83 group who attempted assassinations, told NPR, 'it was very, very uncommon for nan superior motive to beryllium political, though location were a number of attackers who appeared to clothe their motives pinch immoderate governmental rhetoric.'

More commonly, Dr Fein said, these people, 'experienced nonaccomplishment aft nonaccomplishment aft failure, and decided that alternatively than being a "nobody," they wanted to beryllium a "somebody"'.

In Dr Kardaras' eyes, it's apt that Mr Crooks was motivated by a operation of these factors. 

He said it appears nan gunman could've had an inferior, 'I'll show you' mindset, but 'the truth that he targeted a governmental fig shows maine that location was besides some, I would infer that location was besides immoderate governmental schedule there.' 

Another facet that could've contributed to his effort connected erstwhile President Trump's life is nan truth that Mr Crooks had an liking successful firearms, going backmost astatine slightest arsenic acold arsenic precocious school. 

He tried retired for his precocious schoolhouse firearm team, but did not gain a spot connected nan team. 

He besides had a rank to a section firing range, The Clairton Sportsmen's Club, nan BBC reported. 

Dr Kardaras said that an early liking successful guns and convulsive video games is incredibly communal successful schoolhouse shooters.

'Not each kid who plays convulsive video games becomes a schoolhouse shooter, but each schoolhouse shooter has been been heavy immersed successful convulsive first personification shooter games and past besides secondarily had entree to guns' he said. 

It's unclear if Mr Crooks played video games - but if he did, it's imaginable that this could've accrued his aggression and blurred nan statement betwixt reality and fiction, he said.

He explained that perpetually being immersed successful convulsive graphics could power your aggression and really you respond to nan world astir you. 

He added: 'if you tally nan wolves, you're going to go a wolf.'