Donald Trump shooter flew drone over rally site hours before attack

Mangalore Today News Network

United State, July 20, 2024: Thomas Matthew Crook, the gunman who attempted to assassinate United States presidential candidate Donald Trump, reportedly used a drone to aerially scope out the Pennsylvania fairgrounds, at least once ahead of the shooting, the New York Times reported while quoting law enforcement officials.

This incident further highlights the stunning security lapses ahead of Trump’s ill-fated rally.

Thomas Crooks visited the rally grounds on July 7 — six days before the shooting — and made another trip on the morning of the incident, the officials stated, while citing geolocation data found on one of his two cellphones.

It must be noted that the Secret Service prohibits drones over the area they are securing, but it is unclear whether the agency did this in the case of the Trump rally or not.

Last Saturday, the 20-year-old gunman apparently used a drone to capture footage of the Butler Farm Show grounds by following a preprogrammed flight path, an official briefing on the matter told the New York Times while seeking anonymity.

A drone was later found in Thomas Crook’s car after he was gunned down.

Interestingly, the Secret Service did not use drones themselves to keep vigilance over the rally.

Crooks, recalled by his school friends as smart and quiet, began inspecting the site shortly after the Trump campaign announced the rally on July 3 and registered for the event on July 7, officials told The Wall Street Journal.

However, the motive behind the attempt to assassinate Donald Trump remains unknown and is under investigation.