The shooter in The failed assassination of former President Donald Trump A law enforcement official said Saturday that the person allegedly flew a drone around the Pennsylvania protest site ahead of time in an attempt to scout the site before the event.
The drone was recovered by the FBI, which is leading the investigation into the shooting at last Saturday’s protest. Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20 years old.
Crooks fired multiple shots from the roof of a building adjacent to the Butler Farm Show grounds where Trump was speaking before being shot and killed by a Secret Service counterattack sniper. The existence of the device and its use at some point before the shooting may help explain why Crooks knew to shoot from that location.
The official who described the drone was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Details of the drone were first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Trump said this week that a bullet had cut into his right ear. A memo released Saturday by the Trump campaign and written by Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson, who served as the GOP nominee’s White House physician, said Trump was injured by a bullet to his right ear from a high-powered rifle that “passed less than a quarter of an inch from his head and struck the top of his right ear.”
One of the bullets aimed at Trump was killed 50-year-old firefighter Corey ComperatoreOne spectator was in the stands. Two others were seriously injured.
The FBI is continuing to investigate what may have motivated Crooks to carry out the attack. So far, officials have not found any ideological bias that could help explain his actions.
Investigators searched his phone. found photo of trumpPresident Joe Biden and other senior administration officials also found that he looked up the date of the Democratic National Convention as well as Trump’s appearance. He also searched for information about the Great Depression order.
More details about the investigation are expected to be released next week when FBI Director Chris Wray testifies before the House Judiciary Committee.
