Jared Loughner sought help and advice from a community of online gamers, postings unearthed by the Wall Street Journal show. "Does anyone have aggression 24/7?" he asked last May in a forum associated with the game Earth Empires. Loughner complained about being spurned by women and having trouble finding a job. His often bizarre postings sometimes attracted serious advice, and sometimes mockery or questions about whether he was insane or on drugs. He often spouted conspiracy theories, a forum member says.
Local police say they visited the Loughner home several times before the shooting, once for a complaint of identity theft. A friend who used to practice marksmanship with Loughner says that the teenage Loughner's behavior grew stranger even as his shooting improved. "He was a nihilist and loves causing chaos, and that is probably why he did the shooting, along with the fact he was sick in the head," the friend tells the New York Times. (More Jared Lee Loughner stories.)