Thomas Matthew Crooks may have communicated his intentions to assassinate former President Donald Trump in a message on Steam, U.S. Senators were reportedly told in an all-member briefing on July 17.
Fox News reports that Crooks, the 20-year-old man identified as the gunman behind the attack on July 13, wrote on the platform, "July 13 will be my premiere, watch as it unfolds."
No other details were provided in the report. Valve did not immediately respond to a request for comment from IGN. The Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on an ongoing investigation.
Crooks killed one person and injured three others during a rally near Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump was among those wounded. Crooks reportedly enjoyed video games among other activities, making it more likely that he spent at least some time on Steam.
While Valve has not provided any details on its process for flagging potential terror attacks, it has been criticized for a lack of moderation on the platform in the past. In a 2022 letter addressed to Valve co-founded Gabe Newell, Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire called on Steam to take more steps to reduce what she described as "harmful content."
"Steam has a significant presence of users displaying and espousing neo-Nazi, extremist, racial supremacist, misogynistic, and other hateful sentiments,” the letter said. “[Steam owner] Valve should be taking steps to prevent harmful content, especially given the relationship between online comments and violence in the offline world.”
The investigation into the July 13 attack is ongoing, with the FBI reportedly in the process of tracking down and interviewing contacts found on one of Crooks' two cell phones. This is an ongoing story and IGN will continue to update with additional details and comments.
Kat Bailey is IGN's News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
