The man who leaked classified U.S. intelligence documents that sparked a national security investigation is a 20-year-old gun enthusiast who worked on a military base, The Washington Post reported Wednesday, citing members of an online discussion group also used by the alleged author. . Reuters reported on Thursday.

Big leak of secret Pentagon documentsPhoto: Oleksandr Stoyanov / Panthermedia / Profimedia

The man posted the classified documents to a group on the Discord messaging platform of about 25 men and boys who shared a “common passion for guns, military hardware and God,” according to The Washington Post, which wrote the article but did not identify the person. – based on interviews with two members of the popular video game platform Discord.

Reuters says it was unable to verify details from the US publication’s report.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the Discord platform announced that it is cooperating with law enforcement.

The Defense Department and Justice Department did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

The Justice Department opened a formal criminal investigation last week after the case was referred to the Pentagon, which is assessing the damage caused by what could be the worst leak of classified US information in years.

The man was known by the nickname OG, which stands for Original Gangster or Old School Traditionalist. One source at The Washington Post named the person as between 20 and 25 years old, and according to the same source, she was valued by members of the group.

“He is physically healthy. He is strong. He is armed. He is trained. Just what you expect from a crazy movie,” said one forum member, who said he was under 18 and spoke on condition of anonymity. his mother’s permission, the American publication said.

In the worst leak of U.S. secrets in years, photos of sensitive documents were shared on Discord and other platforms, including online messaging app 4Chan, encrypted global messaging app Telegram and Twitter.

US national security agencies and the Justice Department are investigating the leaks to assess the damage to national security and relations with US allies and other countries, including Ukraine.