NEW YORK – After conducting more than 200 interviews and combing through his phone and internet search history, federal investigators have pieced together an early portrait of the man who sought to assassinate former President Donald Trump: Thomas Matthew Crooks was an intelligent, unassuming loner, who expressed an interest in guns and was far from outspoken about politics.

But the emerging profile of Crooks nearly a week after the shooting has left authorities puzzled about a motive for his assault and has had investigators speculating that his intentions may have been less politically motivated and more about attacking the highest-profile target near him.

The investigation remains in its early stages, officials caution. Still, in some ways, Crooks seems similar to the dozens of other young men who’ve wreaked havoc across the US with high-powered assault-style rifles in recent years. He had few close friends, he would often go shooting at a local firing range, and he didn’t seem to display strongly held views that would suggest a politically driven assassination, according to CNN interviews with law enforcement and a review of notes from a briefing to Congress.

In addition to the former president, Crooks had searched online about President Joe Biden and had photos on his phone of other prominent figures from both parties. He searched for the location of Trump’s rally as well as the upcoming Democratic National Convention, the briefing notes say, and discovered that Trump planned to appear just an hour’s drive away from his home in the Pittsburgh suburbs.

That suggests Crooks may have been looking to carry out a high-profile shooting, and the Trump event’s proximity and timing offered the most accessible opportunity, federal officials have speculated. “Even though he didn’t get his primary target, the shooter was successful in a lot of ways because he got closer to doing something no one has done in decades,” one federal official told CNN, referring to the assassination of a presidential candidate. (CNN)…[+]