Report says Trump shooter flew drone over rally hours before attack
Date
7/21/2024 4:04:52 AM
(MENAFN) The man who shot former US President Donald trump during a rally in Pennsylvania had flown a drone over the event site just hours before Trump took the stage as reported by a news agency. The drone, which was reportedly a DJI model, provided Thomas Crooks, the 20-year-old gunman, with an aerial view that may have assisted in planning the attack. The shooting occurred at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was struck in the ear, an incident described as an assassination attempt.
Following the attack, Crooks was fatally shot by Secret Service agents. Initial reports about the drone's involvement were first disclosed by The Wall Street Journal. This aerial surveillance is now considered one of several security lapses that allowed the gunman to come dangerously close to harming the former president. Typically, the Secret Service prohibits drones from flying over secured areas, but it remains unclear if such restrictions were enforced during the Butler rally.
Investigators are likely to have uncovered information about the drone flight through electronic traces of its path, which DJI, the drone manufacturer, might have logged. Authorities also found the drone and related equipment in Crooks' vehicle, according to a senior law enforcement source.
The motive behind Crooks' attempt on Trump's life is still unknown and is currently under investigation. In response to the incident, the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General has launched three separate inquiries into the Secret Service's management of security at the event. Furthermore, House Speaker Mike Johnson has pledged to initiate a Congressional investigation, with Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee in a hearing on Monday.
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