The family? They knew the guy was strange, but was there really enough contact between them that they'd have an inkling that he was planning something?
Politics? I think he wanted a big scene. He wanted to kill as many people as possible. He might have hit on an ideology that would justify that in his own mind, but politics or ideology may not have been his primary motive.
I'd say the timing is a clue. It was shortly after this that Stephen started purchasing the 33 guns which he added to his collection.
This...we weren't close...makes no sense if they drove cross country a year ago.
I'd like to know what was going on in Florida that made him suddenly want to move.