Skip to content
Navigating a New Political Landscape: View real-time updates about the impact of and Northeastern's response to recent political changes.
Apply
Stories

Motive in Trump assassination attempt may never be discovered, Northeastern expert says

People in this story

Law enforcement at the campaign rally where the attempted assassination on Trump occurred.

As the nation reckons with an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies overseeing the investigation into Saturday’s shooting are searching for a motive. But a motive may never be found, according to James Alan Fox, professor of criminology, public policy and law at Northeastern, who’s spent decades studying public mass shootings. That’s because the search for a motive in many cases often amounts to, as one psychiatrist puts it, an “exercise in fruitless speculation and wasted resources.” 

It’s a natural response to tragedy: the asking of why. The reasons often begin with some grievance, but the particulars — what drives a person to commit an act of violence — can be elusive, Fox says. In the case of 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who authorities say attempted to assassinate Trump, determining a motive may prove even more difficult, as investigators have yet to discover any social media handles or writings linked to him. His political leanings are similarly hard to discern — he’s a registered Republican, but made a small donation to a Democratic cause.

Read more on Northeastern Global News.

More Stories

Police responders at the aftermath of Swedish school shooting.

Sweden’s deadliest mass shooting highlights global reality of gun violence, Northeastern criminologist says

02.05.2025
Huthi fighters stand guard around newly-released Yemeni prisoners wait to be united with their relatives, in Sanaa on January 25, 2025. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP) (Photo by MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Northeastern students wanted information on the Yemen conflict. So they went straight to the ambassador.

02.05.2025
The Center for International Affairs and World Cultures hosts a panel with a pair of scholars on the future of the Middle East peace process. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

After ceasefire deal, how can mediators create a lasting peace in Gaza? Experts unravel the task

02.05.25
All Stories