‘One In A Million’ Sniper Shot, Drone Surveillance: New Details Emerge In Trump Assassination Attempt – News18

US law enforcement officials have revealed that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the man who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, flew a drone over the event grounds earlier that day.

Crooks, 20, was guarding the fairgrounds at the Butler Farm Show on July 13, before Trump’s appearance. The Wall Street Journal reported. Officials said Crooks had meticulously planned the attack and began his investigation on July 3, shortly after the event was announced. He reportedly registered for the rally on July 7 and visited the location days later to scout it out.

‘One in a million’

The fatal shot that ended Crooks’ attempt was described as a “one in a million shot,” Fox News reported, citing an insider familiar with the investigation. The report said that a Secret Service counter-sniper, hampered by the edge of the roof, managed to hit Crooks with a single shot. The local tactical team, however, missed their target. Crooks was seen pacing back and forth near a warehouse building as a crowd gathered for Trump’s rally.

When officers approached Crooks, he was seen crawling on his stomach on the roof. As an officer climbed up, Crooks, armed with an AR-15-style rifle, turned toward him. The officer retreated, prompting Crooks to fire multiple shots at Trump from about 400 feet away. Trump was grazed on the ear, a bystander was killed and two others were wounded before Secret Service snipers fatally shot Crooks.

This account, based on interviews with more than two dozen people, including police officers, school friends and witnesses, offers insight into the first attempted assassination of a U.S. president since 1981. Days after the attempt, details emerged about the moments leading up to the shooting, but Crooks’ motives remain unclear.

Security measures at the event have sparked debate, with claims that buildings within Trump’s potential shooting range should have been under constant surveillance by the U.S. Secret Service. However, local authorities have refuted claims of inadequate security, citing their limited role at the event.