The gunman in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump is believed to have flown a drone around the Pennsylvania rally site ahead of time in an apparent attempt to scope out the site before the event, a law enforcement official said Saturday. The drone has been recovered by the FBI, which is leading the investigation into last Saturday’s shooting at the rally by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.
Quick Read
- Gunman in Trump Rally Attack Used Drone for Reconnaissance
- Drone Discovery: The FBI has recovered a drone that was used by Thomas Matthew Crooks, the gunman who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump, to survey the rally site in Pennsylvania prior to the attack.
- Incident Details: Crooks fired from the roof of a building adjacent to the Butler Farm Show grounds during Trump’s speech on July 13. The attack resulted in the death of firefighter Corey Comperatore and injuries to two others before Crooks was shot by a Secret Service counter sniper.
- Injury Details: Trump sustained a gunshot wound to his right ear, with a memo from Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson revealing the bullet came close to entering his head.
- Investigation Status: The FBI is investigating Crooks’ motives and found photos of Trump and other officials on his phone. They are examining his search history for clues, which includes information about major depressive disorder and upcoming political events.
- Further Information: More details are expected when FBI Director Chris Wray testifies before the House Judiciary Committee.
The Associated Press has the story:
Gunman in Trump rally attack flew drone over rally site in advance of event, official says
Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP) —
The gunman in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump is believed to have flown a drone around the Pennsylvania rally site ahead of time in an apparent attempt to scope out the site before the event, a law enforcement official said Saturday. The drone has been recovered by the FBI, which is leading the investigation into last Saturday’s shooting at the rally by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.
Crooks fired multiple rounds from the roof of a building adjacent to the Butler Farm Show grounds, where Trump was speaking, before being fatally shot by a Secret Service counter sniper. The existence of the device and its use at some point before the shooting could help explain why Crooks knew to fire from the point.
The official who described the drone was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. Details of the drone were first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Trump said this week that one bullet clipped his right ear. A memo released Saturday by the Trump campaign and authored by Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson, who served as the GOP nominee’s White House physician, said that Trump sustained a gunshot wound to the right ear from a high-powered rifle that came “less than a quarter of an inch from entering his head, and struck the top of his right ear.”
One of the bullets aimed toward Trump killed 50-year-old firefighter Corey Comperatore, a spectator who was in the bleachers. Two others were seriously wounded. The FBI is continuing to investigate what may have motivated Crooks to carry out the attack. So far, officials have not found any ideological bent that could help explain his actions.
Investigators who searched his phone found photos of Trump, President Joe Biden and other senior government officials, and also found that he had looked up the dates for the Democratic National Conventional as well as Trump’s appearances. He also searched for information about major depressive order.
More details about the investigation are expected to be made public in the coming week when FBI Director Chris Wray appears before the House Judiciary Committee.
