Trump Shooter Used Drone to Scout Rally Site Ahead of Time- US Media Reveals
Law enforcement officials have revealed to US media that the gunman who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump had flown a drone over the shooting location beforehand.
It remains uncertain whether Thomas Matthew Crooks flew the drone hours or days before the rally in Pennsylvania on July 13, as reported by CBS, the BBC’s US media partner.
Trump, now the official Republican presidential nominee, has stated that he was saved “by luck or by God” when a bullet struck his right ear during a campaign speech.
The attack resulted in the death of a spectator and serious injuries to two others.
Crooks, 20, was shot and killed at the scene by Secret Service agents, who are now under significant scrutiny regarding the security measures in place for Trump at the rally, which was held outdoors in Butler.
Kimberly Cheatle, the head of the Secret Service, has been summoned to testify before a US House of Representatives committee on July 22.
According to the Wall Street Journal, investigators informed CBS that they are still trying to pinpoint the exact time Crooks flew the drone.
It is believed that the drone was operated within days of the rally at the Butler Farm Showgrounds.
Other US media sources, citing security officials, have suggested that the drone was flown on the day of the event.
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The drone is suspected to have been used by the shooter to find the optimal vantage point for targeting the podium where Trump was scheduled to speak.
Crooks fired several shots from a building just over 130 meters (430 feet) from Trump.
In an interview with Fox News set to air in full on Monday, Trump remarked that he had not been alerted to the potential threat before taking the stage.
“How did somebody get on that roof? And why wasn’t he reported, because people saw he was on that roof?” he asked.
The drone, discovered in the gunman’s vehicle after the attack, is currently under investigation.
Also found in the shooter’s vehicle were two explosive devices, a tactical vest, and four magazines filled with the same ammunition used in the attack.
Trump Shooter Used Drone to Scout Rally Site Ahead of Time- US Media Reveals
