Suspect used drone to scout for hours before attempted assassination of Trump

Suspect Thomas Crooks used a drone to film Trump’s campaign venue in Butler on July 13, shortly before the former US president appeared.

Wall Street Journal On July 19, Thomas Matthew Crooks, the suspect in the shooting of former President Donald Trump, flew a drone on a pre-planned route to investigate the Butler Farm Show, where the rally was being held this past weekend, citing unnamed U.S. law enforcement officials.

“The pre-programmed flight path suggests Crooks flew the drone multiple times to scout the scene,” an official said.

Drone photo taken on July 15 shows the stage at the Butler Farm Show and the factory Crooks used as a shooting location. Photo: AP

The information further reveals the serious security breaches that led to the attempted assassination of Mr Trump. A series of investigations are being conducted by US authorities to determine how Crooks was able to climb onto the roof, just 400 feet from the stage, and fire multiple shots on the evening of July 13, wounding Mr Trump in the ear, killing one civilian and seriously wounding two others.

The drone was just one way Crooks planned the attack. He began surveying the Butler Farm Show on July 3, shortly after the Trump campaign announced the event would be held there. Crooks registered for the event on July 7 and arrived at the farm a few days later.

The anonymous officials said the suspect was carrying two homemade bombs that could be remotely detonated as he approached the Butler Farm Show on July 13. Investigators found explosives, a bulletproof vest and three .30-gun magazines in Crooks’ car parked near the crime scene, indicating he intended to cause significant damage and casualties.

Crooks also received packages labeled “hazardous material” in recent months. The suspect searched online for Trump campaign data, but also followed the Democratic National Convention and President Joe Biden’s campaign schedule next month, leaving investigators uncertain about Crooks’ true thoughts and motives.

Chart of the attempted assassination of Mr. Trump in Pennsylvania on July 13. Graphic: ABC — Diagram of the attempted assassination of Mr. Trump in Pennsylvania on July 13. Graphical representation: *ABC*

The attempted assassination of Trump is seen as the biggest crisis in more than a decade of scandals for the US secret service.A growing number of U.S. lawmakers and officials are demanding that the Secret Service provide a clear explanation for its security failures in the incident.

U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle admitted on July 15 that the work she did to protect former President Trump during the attempted assassination in Pennsylvania was “unacceptable.”

Vu Anh (According to Wall Street Journal)