The Illinois man who attacked the Republican congressional baseball team last week took to Google to find information on the Republican convention the night before the shooting, according to the FBI.
A Wednesday FBI press release confirmed much of what has already been reported. James T. Hodgkinson acted alone when he shot five people, including still-hospitalized Rep. Steve Scalise (R., La.), according to federal law enforcement.
But other tidbits potentially shed more light on his motives. "The Internet searches Hodgkinson performed the night before the shooting included a Google map search from Alexandria to his home in Belleville and a Google search of the '2017 Republican Convention,'" the FBI reported.
The FBI also revealed that Hodgkinson had a list in his pocket of the names of six members of Congress, and that he took several photos of the park in the days before the shooting. However, the FBI said it was too early to say whether that evidence is connected to the crime.
Hodgkinson's social media accounts imply that he had a deep hatred of Republican politicians and was a fervent supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.). In addition, Republican congressmen present at the shooting told the media that he approached them beforehand and asked if they were Democrats or Republicans.
The FBI report confirms that last detail: "The morning of the shooting, a witness reported Hodgkinson asking them, 'Is this the Republican or Democrat baseball team?' When the witness responded that it was a Republican event, Hodgkinson reportedly remained at the baseball field."