Law enforcement officials told US media that the gunman who tried to assassinate Donald Trump flew a drone over the shooting site in the hours before it happened.
They said it was unclear whether Thomas Matthew Crooks did this hours or days before the fateful rally in Pennsylvania on July 13, CBS, the BBC’s US media partner, reported.
Trump, now officially the Republican presidential nominee, said he was saved “by luck or God” when a bullet pierced his right ear during a campaign speech.
One spectator was killed in the attack, while two others were seriously injured.
Crooks, 20, was shot dead at the scene by Security Service officers who arrived. under close supervision about precautions taken to protect Trump at the rally held outside the city of Butler.
Security Agency Director Kimberly Cheatle has been subpoenaed to testify before a U.S. House of Representatives committee on July 22.
First reported by the Wall Street Journal, investigators told CBS they are still trying to determine exactly when Crooks was flying the drone.
They said they believe the incident occurred within days of a protest at the Butler Farm Show grounds.
Other US news agencies, also citing security officials, confirmed that the device was flying over the area on the day of the event.
It is believed the shooter used a drone to get the best view of Trump’s podium.
The thief fired several shots. from the roof of a building just over 130m (430ft) from Trump.
In an interview with Fox News that will air in full on Monday, Trump said no one warned him before he took the stage that there was a possibility of a gunman.
“How did someone get on that roof? And why wasn’t he reported, because everyone saw him on that roof,” he said.
The drone – found in the gunman’s car after the attack – is now being examined by investigators.
Two explosive devices, a tactical bulletproof vest and four magazines filled with ammunition similar to the type used in the attack were also found in the shooter’s vehicle.
The incident comes as US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas hit back at allegations from “some” about the presence of women in law enforcement.
He praised the “highly qualified and well-trained” women serving at all levels “who risk their lives on the front lines for the safety and security of others”.
Several female Secret Service agents were involved in Trump’s security protocol during the Butler shooting, shielding him after shots were fired and leading him from the stage to a nearby security vehicle.
Some social media users – including influential conservative activists in the United States – then suggested that female agents were not suited for work in the Secret Service.
“There should be no women in the Secret Service,” one such activist, Matt Walsh, wrote on X. “These people are supposed to be the best, and none of the best at this job are women.”
Some also criticize hiring practices that focus too much on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Mayorkas said the Department of Homeland Security will “with pride, focus and dedication to mission, continue to recruit, retain and advance the status of women in law enforcement.”
“Our department will be better and our country will be safer,” he added.
