REVEALED: Tormented Navy Yard killer believed 'people were sending vibrations to his body via microwave machine' six weeks before rampage Aaron Alexis, 34, the heavily armed gunman who killed 12 people and injured eight at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington D.C. - suffered a host of mental illnesses Visited Thailand in March 2012 and was left devastated when a girl declined to come back to the U.S. and live with him Reportedly 'heard voices' coming from his hotel closet last month while staying in Newport, Rhode Island Friends reported that Alexis was a heavy drinker and played mammoth sessions of violent video games Had a huge chip on his shoulder that he was "not man enough" because his father made him feel inadequate Reports claim that he had packed a dismantled shotgun in his bag and went through security By James Nye, Louise Boyle, David Martosko In Washington, Meghan Keneally, Paul Thompson In Washington and Daniel Bates In Fort Worth, Texas Washington Naval Yard gunman Aaron Alexis called police to his Rhode Island, hotel just six weeks ago suffering hallucinations so severe that he heard voices speaking to him 'through the wall, flooring and ceiling' and thought three people were following him and keeping 'him awake by talking to him and sending vibrations to his body' through a microwave machine. Together with reports claiming that Alexis had suffered symptoms of mental illness for almost a decade, a picture is forming which casts serious doubts on whether he should have been licensed to purchase firearms or indeed be granted 'secret' security access through his work as a Naval contractor. When officers arrived on August 7th, at 6 a.m. he told them he had moved to three separate hotels that night in an effort to elude the microwave vibrations and that he had become involved in an argument with the unidentified individuals at the airport who were now following him. Thai Vacation: Washington Naval Yard gunman Aaron Alexis on holiday in Thailand last year (The identity of the woman with the blurred face is not known) Telling police that he was being pursued by two black men and a black woman, Alexis also told police officers that he 'had never felt anything like this before,' and that 'he was worried these people were going to harm him,' said Lt. William Fitzgerald of the Newport Police. Speaking to the New York Times, Lt. Fitzgerald said Alexis, who shot dead 12 innocent officer workers on Monday, told him he had no history of mental illness and all police could do was to tell him to stay away from anyone he suspected of following him. Gunman: According to NBC Washington, this man Aaron Alexis, 34, from Fort Worth, Texas is the Navy Yard shooter. A background check has revealed that this is the police mugshot for Alexis who was arrested but not charged for firing a gun in his apartment in 2010 Earlier on Tuesday, anonymous law enforcement officials said that Alexis sought treatment from the Veterans Administration in August for paranoia, insomnia and possible schizophrenia and a New York Times report claims that he had suffered mental issues since his early 20s. The new revelations regarding his treatment and the Rhode Island episode are significant because despite his psychiatric problems, the Navy did not declare him mentally unfit which would have rescinded his security clearance and impacted his ability to purchase firearms. Prior to this, Alexis visited Thailand in 2012 where he spent his time frequenting massage parlors and was crushed when a girl he liked rejected his offer to come and live with him in the United States because the woman 'didn't like black people.' Indeed, such was Alexis' fascination with Thai culture, Buddhism and Thai people that he traveled to the south east Asian country in March and April of 2012. According to the UK's Channel 4 News, he spent 45 days in the country and was shown around by Parin Suthamtewakul, a cousin of Nutpisit Suthamtewaku. Alexis worked at Nutpisit's Happy Bowl Thai restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas for a time earlier this year and lived with the owner and his wife. Collecting guns: Alexis reportedly brought only one gun with him to the Navy Yard and procured two others during the shooting spree He was escorted to a number of tourist centers in Korat, the north east of Thailand and a beach resort called Hua Hin. There he celebrated the Thai new year festival of Songkran, which celebrates water and Alexis is seen in the above picture obtained exclusively by Channel 4 News brandishing a water-gun. However, instead of exploring his Buddhist faith, Alexis spent his time frequenting massage parlors and even developed a crush on Parin. The former Navy reservist was upset however when she rejected his offer to come back and live with him in the United States. Channel 4 also learned from Nutpisit that Alexis also complained of racial discrimination at the hands of his countrymen - suggesting a deep-rooted alienation. Watch Video Here: 'He didn't have any American friends,' said Nutpisit Suthamtewakul. His only friends were Thais because they were nice to him. Suthamtewakul added that Alexis was 'good at shooting and really interested in guns' and 'owned one gun'. The Happy Bowl owner said that Alexis had moved out of his home around May after there was tension with Mr Suthamtewakul's wife over their pet cats. He said he had not heard from Alexis in the weeks before the shooting and had believed he was flying to Japan as part of his government contractor job. Ty Thairintr, a congregant at Wat Budsaya, a Buddhist temple in Fort Worth which Alexis would attend, said: 'We are all shocked. We are nonviolent. Aaron was a very good practitioner of Buddhism. He could chant better than even some of the Thai congregants. Thairintr said Alexis told him he was upset with the Navy because 'he thought he never got a promotion because of the color of his skin. He hated his commander. Unassuming: The media wait outside Happy Bowl Asian Restaurant where Aaron Alexis, 34, the suspected shooter who was among 13 people killed in the shooting at Washington Navy Yard, was previously employed, in White Settlement, Texas Alexis had a huge chip on his shoulder that he was "not man enough" because his father made him feel inadequate his whole life, MailOnline can reveal. Ex-Navy reservist Aaron Alexis joined the military in a vain attempt to prove to his dad Algernon, a caregiver, that he could "live up to a parent that you just couldn't live up to." Melinda Downs, one of the few people who knew Alexis well, said that their rows had caused him to split from the rest of his family - and that he longed for a reconciliation. She also revealed that Alexis, who shot dead 12 people during his rampage on Monday at the Washington Navy Yard, "loved the military" and wished he was back in the Armed Forces after his 2011 discharge. But his PTSD brought on by pulling bodies from the wreckage of the 9/11 attacks was so bad that it left him unable to sleep - for up to three days. That did not however stop him being a "playboy" who dated another girl in the Navy - and slept with prostitutes whilst on a trip to Thailand last year. As she fought back the tears, Mrs Downs said the key issue in Alexis" life was his troubled relationship with dad Algernon, 60. By contrast he loved his mother Cathleen, 60 and was "crazy about his sister," Naomi, 31. Stunned: Nutpisit Suthamtewakul at the Happy Bowl, on Tuesday (left) along with Micheal Ritrovato (right) on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013, in White Settlement, Texas Mrs Downs said: "He always talked about her (Naomi) having a baby and wanted to be part of the baby's life. They had been separated for so long and he wanted to renew his closeness to his mum and his sister. It wasn't a falling out with his mum and his sister as much he had some issues with his dad. Aaron would say that part of it was that his father didn't think he was man enough or wasn't the man he wanted him to be. I believe that's one of the reasons why Aaron went into the military. He wanted to prove to his father that he could be the man he wanted to be. "Even though he got angry with him, I think it was his way of saying: "I am that man," of trying to live up to a parent that you just couldn't live up to." Alexis" life in the Fort Worth suburb of White Settlement revolved around the Happy Bowl Thai restaurant where he worked as a waiter and delivery driver for the past three years, and the barber's shop next door, which Mrs Downs runs. He had a very close circle of friends who regarded him as "family" and feel shocked and appalled that he carried out the massacre. Refreshed: A photo of Aaron Alexis, 34, the suspected shooter who was among 13 people killed in the shooting at Washington Navy Yard, is displayed on the phone of Oui Suthamtewakul owner of the Happy Bowl Asian Restaurant Watching: Policemen stand guard outside the home of Cathleen Alexis, the mother of Washington Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis, on September 17, 2013 in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn In June the 34-year-old moved in with Mrs Downs and used her home as a place to stay when he was in town whilst not travelling in his job as a computer contractor. Mrs Downs, 44, said Alexis was "the sweetest person that I've ever known" and that most days he would crack jokes all the time. He wanted to be an interpreter and travel the world because he had a "heart for foreigners" because he didn't think they got a fair crack in the US. Instead he joined the military and from 2008 to 2011 served as an Aviation Electrician's Mate with the Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VR) 46, in Fort Worth. Mrs Downs said: "I can truly say that Aaron loved the military. He would make a statement that defending his country and working with the military and coming home, it was hard to find a job. He said I hate ever getting out. At least I could wake up employed, I knew that I had a job. I wish I had stayed in. Alexis was also never seen without his Colt .45 gun on him - although he never threatened anybody with it. Mrs Downs said: "He felt naked without a gun. He just felt exposed and naked. I have met so many military people that have been to Iraq and they say the same thing. Alexis made no secret of his PTSD and said that he told her he was at Ground Zero in New York helping to pull bodies from the rubble on the day of the September 11 2011 attacks. His memories of 9/11 were of people screaming then trying to help them but being unable to find them. Mrs Downs said that Alexis would "kind of close into himself" to deal with the depression and insomnia. She said: "When he wouldn't sleep he was not violent, he was not angry or bitter or anything. You could tell that he wasn't sleeping because he just looked tired. He said he was going to talk to his counsellor at the VA (Veterans Agency) and for a while he was resting...he had begun to get some sleep. He did go to the VA. I know that there was one situation where he stayed up for a few days. I asked him when was the last time he had some sleep, he said about three days (ago) or such)  The last time she spoke to Alexis was September 9th, a week ago when he called to say he had left his last job in Rhode Island and that he had arrived in Washington D.C. She said: "Aaron said: "I've made it and I'm OK. I'll call you and let you know what my assignment is and the hours so you'll know what time to call him. Friends: Restaurant owner Oui Suthamtewakul, right, and Michael Ritrovato speak about working with Aaron Alexis , who was once employed by Suthamtewakul He asked for the logo of (my) shop, he wanted to do a web page for us. I emailed all of the information to him and that was the last I heard. Nutpisit Suthamtewakul, the owner of the Happy Bowl Thai restaurant, with whom Alexis lived for three years until he moved into Mrs Downs" house, told MailOnline that Alexis chose to date Thai women rather than Westerners because he got on well with them. Sometimes he would chat female customers up but other times he was so consumed with playing video games that he would stay in his room rather than meet girls his friends tried to set him up with. Mr Suthamtewakul said: "He had a girlfriend in 2010, she was Chinese. She was in the Navy but she didn't live round here. She lived far away. When he went to Thailand on holiday (last year) he went to massage parlours. He maybe did it two times. He was on holiday because he wanted to enjoy himself, he wanted to get away from here. He was an American man going to Thailand. What's he going to do? Mr Suthamtewakul said that during the trip to Thailand Alexis was shown around by his cousin Parin, and that he developed a crush on her. She refused to move back to the US with him because he is black and had a boyfriend at the time. Gunman: This photo provided by Kristi Kinard Suthamtewakul shows Aaron Alexis in Fort Worth, Texas. The FBI has identified Alexis, 34, as the gunman in the Monday, Sept. 16, 2013 shooting rampage in Washington Indeed, Alexis had 'secret' clearance and was assigned to start working at the naval yard as a civilian contractor with a military-issued ID card, his contracting firm's chief executive Thomas Hoshko said today. Hoshko said he was unaware of any issues with misconduct involving Alexis or any possible grievance that could have led to the shooting. Alexis had previously worked for The Experts in Japan from September 2012 to January 2013, he said. We had just recently re-hired him. Another background investigation was re-run and cleared through the defense security service in July 2013,' Hoshko said. Hoshko said he believed that Alexis' 'secret' security clearance dated back to 2007. Speaking on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing criminal investigation, law enforcement officials said that Alexis' family were aware of his mental problems, which included hearing voices in his head. Sources with the investigation into the mass shooting told CNN that Alexis had recently made contact with two Veterans Administration hospitals for his psychological issues. The Morning After: A member of the military arrives for work at the front gate of the Washington Naval Yard September 17, 2013 in Washington, DC In the past Alexis has previously claimed to be suffering from PTSD after helping rescue efforts in New York following the 9/11 terror attacks. This comes as it was claimed that Alexis was a 'hardcore drinker' who loved to play violent zombie video games, Nutpisit Suthamtewakul revealed. He said on Monday to the UK's Daily Telegraph that he had known Aaron Alexis for three years and that they were drinking buddies as well as roommates. Another friend Michael Ritrovato also said that he had watched Alexis playing violent video games that involved shooting such as Call of Duty. Mr Suthamtewakul said that he would bring his friend food during gaming sessions that would last for hours. Mr Ritrovato, a 50-year-old government worker and New York native, said that Alexis, an African-American, had complained to him that he was the victim of racial discrimination. However Mr Suthamtewakul said that his friend was a recently-converted Buddhist who liked to meditate. This comes as a Navy official speaking to the Washington Post on condition of anonymity claimed that Alexis was cited on at least eight occasions for misconduct during his service from 2007 to his honorable discharge in 2011. Among the offenses he was cited for were traffic tickets and arriving for work late. Respect: The American flags surrounding the Washington Monument fly at half-staff as ordered by President Barack Obama following the deadly shooting on Monday at the Washington Navy Yard Members of the US Secret Service man their position on the roof of the White House as the national flag flies half-mast on September 17, 2013 a day after a deadly Navy Yard shooting in Washington, DC Clues: Investigators enter a Residence Inn hotel where it is believed the gunman involved in the Washington Navy Yard shooting had been staying prior to the attack Remembering: Two women embrace while reuniting at a gathering point for family members of Navy Yard employees that was set up inside Nationals Park in the wake of the shootingas Brittany Carter holds a candle in remembrance at last nights vigil However, he was also reprimanded for more serious behavior such as insubordination, disorderly conduct and many, unauthorized absences from his service. He was also given an administrative sanction when he was arrested by police in DeKalb County, Georgia, in August 2008 and spent two nights in jail. Alexis was arrested in Atlanta for damaging the furnishings of the a club and was arrested uttering a string of profanities. However, it was this instance which prompted his superiors in the Navy to contemplate separating him from the service. However, it had been incorrectly reported that Alexis had been given a general discharge, when in fact he had been issued with an honorable discharge on January 31st, 2011. A general discharge would have indicated that there was a problem with his service and performance and would also have impacted on the veteran's benefits he received and his health insurance for medical problems. Gunman Aaron Alexis was shot dead by responding officers after he opened fire inside a Navy facility around 8:20 a.m. on Monday morning, killing 12 people aged 46-73. It emerged today that he used three guns during the massacre, two handguns and a shotgun. Policemen string police tape outside the Brooklyn residence Cathleen Alexis, mother of suspected Washington Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis, in New York September 16, 2013 Eddie Weingart of Project End Gun Violence speaks to members of the media during a candlelight vigil at Freedom Plaza on September 16, 2013 in Washington, DC Apartment house where Frank Calderon, step-father of accused DC Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis lives near Richmond, Virginia Sources told News4 in Washington D.C that surveillance footage showed that he began his attack with a shotgun, but was found with two 9mm pistol's. NBC News correspondent Pete Williams is reporting Alexis purchased a shotgun in Lorton, Virginia during the past week or so. It was originally reported that he had seized an AR-15, although law enforcement officials said on Tuesday that this was not the case. Two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that an AR-15 was found at the scene. One of them said Tuesday that Alexis did not use that weapon in the shootings. It was not immediately clear whether the rifle belonged to a law enforcement or security officer responding to the gun battle. Alexis is assumed to have seized two firearms from two victims on the military base on the Anacostia River in Washington D.C. And a new version of how events unfolded yesterday at the Washington Naval Yards claims that Alexis cleared security with his valid ID with his dismantled shotgun carried in a bag. Fateful Purchase: Sharpshooters Small Arms Range sold Aaron Alexis a Remington shotgun capable of firing six shells without reloading Weapons Rack: Guns sold at Sharpshooters Small Arms Range in Virginia are on display According to to USA Today, Alexis then assembled the gun in the men's room and then proceeded to the third or fourth floor of Building 197 and opened fire from an overlooking atrium. This scenario contradicts the earlier version which had Alexis shooting his way into the building because two victims were found at the entrance, outside. Indeed, after letting off several rounds, he made his way down a flight of stairs from the atrium and was confronted by a security officer. He shot this man, took his gun and then returned to the overlook that had a clear view of the atrium. According to the FBI, Alexis was then confronted by teams from multiple agencies including the Metropolitan Police in D.C. and FBI agents and a gun fight ensued which lasted no less than half an hour, but no more than one. 'It didn't appear that he had any plan for escape,' one anonymous official said to USA Today. He also said that 'no one believes he was looking for anybody in particular.' The shooter's family lives in a run-down area of Brooklyn called Bedford-Stuyvesant, which was known in the 1980s for being at the center of New York's crack epidemic. His mother Cathleen, 60, lives in a fourth floor walk up apartment worth $130,000 with other relatives. The street was then sealed off by police and FBI agents who stood guard outside and refused to let anybody onto the side of the street where the house is. Later the gunman's brother-in-law Anthony Little, who is married to Alexis' sister Naomi, 31, arrived and said: 'The family are distraught...They're shocked'. Valerie Parlave (C), Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, speaks at a press conference outside an FBI field office to update the media on their investigation into the shootings on Tuesday Mr Little said it had been several years since had Alexis spoken with his family in Brooklyn. He added: 'He is not as close as the normal person with his family.' The stepfather of gunman Aaron Alexis was "shattered" after discovering his son had gone on a deadly rampage. Frank Calderon discovered his son had killed 12 people after two FBI agents showed up at his home in Virginia. Calderon,47, was interviewed for over an hour by the agents as they tried to piece together the last movements of the former Navy reservist. He had no idea anything was wrong until the FBI showed up at his door,"said a friend who shares his apartment near Richmond, Virginia. Frank talked with them for over an hour. He was pretty shattered when I saw him afterwards. There were two agents and they talked to him inside. I guess they wanted to know all about Aaron. You can imagine how he feels. He wanted to do all he could to help.This is just tragic and I know he feels sorry for all the victims. Devastated: Daniels' wife Priscilla, pictured, was inconsolable after hearing the tragic news Monday night Calderon lived with Alexis's mother Carmen in Brooklyn, New York, before relocating to Virginia. Investigators will be anxious to find out if Alexis met with Calderon when he was in Virginia buying the weapons that were used in the Navy Yard shooting. Alexis, who it was revealed had been suffering from mental illness and hearing voices in his head, legally bought the guns at a store in Lorton, Virginia. That set off pandemonium, with fire alarms sounding and security officers yelling at people to leave the building. Hundreds fled, some scrambling over walls to escape the gunfire. A loudspeaker announcement ordered those who remained to stay in their offices. The motive for the mass shooting - the deadliest on a military installation in the U.S. since the tragedy at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009 - was a mystery, investigators said. But a profile of the lone gunman, a 34-year-old Aaron Alexis, was coming into focus. He was described as a Buddhist who had also had flares of rage, complained about the Navy and being a victim of discrimination and had several run-ins with law enforcement, including two shootings. Eight people were injured including three who were shot, Washington Mayor Vincent Gray said. Those killed were aged 46 to 73, he said. Investigations continued into the circumstances of their deaths. How the Deadly Attack Unfolded: This graphic provides a timeline and graphic depiction of how Aaron Alexis unleashed his shooting rampage across the Washington Naval Yard on Monday morning This photo provided by the family of John Roger Johnson, shows the 73-year-old man from Derwood, Md., who was one of the 12 victims killed in the shooting rampage at the Washington Navy Yard on Monday Victims: 54-year-old Martin Bodrog of Annandale, Virginia perished in the mass shooting committed by Aaron Alexis as did (far right in grey) Kathy Gaarde, 62 Mary DeLorenzo Knight, a 51-one-year-old mother, was one of the victims shot dead on Monday This photo provided by the family of Frank Kohler shows the 50-year-old man from Tall Timbers, Maryland (left) while (right) Kenneth Proctor, 46 has been named as another victim Loss: Navy Yard shooting victim Richard Michael Ridgell, 52 (left) and Michael Arnold (right) They are, according to Washington's Metropolitan Police Department: Michael Arnold, 59; Sylvia Frasier, 53; Kathy Gaarde, 62; John Roger Johnson, 73;Frank Kohler, 50; Kenneth Bernard Proctor, 46; Arthur Daniels, 51, Martin Bodrog, 54, Richard Michael Ridgell, 52, Gerald L. Read, 58, Mary Knight, 51 and Vishnu Pandit, 61. Authorities said none of the victims were known to have been active-duty military personnel. Terror at the Washington Naval Yard: How events Unfolded: 08.20am: Shots reported fired at Building 179 on the Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters in Washington D.C. where about 3,000 people work. 08.30am: Base police enter the building following reports of an active shooter 08.40am: First responders arrive at the scene as loudspeakers are heard telling people on the naval base to 'shelter in place' 10.00am: The Navy reports one confirmed injury 10.06am: Roads and intersections closed around the Navy Yard as police cars and SWAT teams flood into the area 10.54am: Federal Aviation Agency grounds all flights at National Airport in D.C. due to Navy Yard incident 11.13am: First reports say three civilians, one metropolitan police officer and one officer on the naval base were shot 11.20am: Police report that a gunman has been shot dead 11.50am: Chief Medical Officer at George Washington Hospital confirms that they are treating multiple wounded - the majority of whom are suffering gunshot wounds Midday: Washington Metropolitan Police Department Cathy Lanier says that the shooter is believed to be deceased at the scene while there are potentially two other shooters at large - this was later ruled out by the FBI 12.20pm: President Obama makes a statement calling those who had been shot at the naval base 'patriots' and expresses his grief at another mass shooting Investigators earlier were pursuing a possible second gunman but later said there were no suspects beyond Alexis. The incident has raised questions about security at the Washington Navy Yard, about a mile south of the U.S. Capitol and 3 miles from the White House. Alexis, a contract employee, had legitimate access to the Navy Yard and used a valid pass, the FBI said. Authorities did not address how he could have sneaked weapons onto the base. Police patrol officers and active shooter teams put an end to the rampage, shooting Alexis dead. Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier said the gun battles produced acts of heroism she could not yet reveal. Everybody was panicking and trying to decide which way to get out. A few of us just ran out the side exit,' Patricia Ward, who works at the Navy Yard, told reporters. Security guards told people to 'run, run, run,' Ward said. It was the worst attack at a U.S. military installation since U.S. Army Major Nidal Hasan opened fire on unarmed soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009, killing 13 people and wounding 31 others. Hasan, who said he acted in retaliation for U.S. wars in Muslim countries, was convicted and sentenced to death by a military jury in August. 'We are confronting yet another mass shooting, and today it happened at another military installation, in our nation's capital,' said U.S. President Barack Obama, who vowed to enact 'sensible' gun control measures after a gunman shot dead 20 school children and six adults at an elementary school in Connecticut in December. Alexis carried three weapons: a shotgun, and two handguns that he took from a police officer at the scene, according to two federal law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation. For much of the day, authorities said they were looking for a possible second attacker who may have been disguised in an olive-drab military-style uniform. Family members of the Washington shooter are 'distraught' to learn that he carried out the massacre, relatives told MailOnline today. Alexis, a one-time Texas resident who was known to worship at a Buddhist temple, served in the military and most recently was furthering his education while holding a job in the private sector, his father, Algernon Alexis, told Reuters in a telephone interview. 'This comes as a complete shock,' the elder Alexis said when told his son was the suspected shooter. Alexis served full time in the U.S. Navy Reserve from May 2007 to January 2011, becoming an aviation electrician, and he received the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, a Navy official told Reuters. Tragic shooting: The Medical Examiner wheels a body on a gurney out of the emergency room at George Washington University Hospital shortly after it was announced that the first victim of the shooting at the Navy Yard in Washington had died