Trump shooter flew drone over Pennsylvania rally before firing, law enforcement sources say

The shooter in the attempted homicide about former President Donald Trump flying a drone over a field adjacent to the grounds where the July 13 rally was held, three law enforcement sources familiar with the federal investigation into the shooting told CBS News Saturday.

Investigators are still looking into exactly when the shooter, identified as a 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooksthe drone was flying, law enforcement officials said. However, they believe it was within days of the rally, although it remains unclear whether he flew the drone hours or days before the event.

The Wall Street Journal was first to report on the use of drones at the scene of the demonstration.

CBS News previously reported that a drone was among the items recovered by investigators from the shooter’s vehicle, according to three sources familiar with the joint U.S. Secret Service-FBI briefing with lawmakers on Wednesday. Two explosive devices, a tactical vest with plates on the front and back and four magazines loaded with the same ammunition used in the attack were also found in the shooter’s vehicle.

During the call, lawmakers also learned that the shooter had searched online for photos of the Butler Farm Show grounds — the site of the rally — and had searched for Allegheny Arms, a gun store in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, where he lived. They also learned that he had visited the rally site at least once before the attack, sources told CBS News.

In the days after the meeting was announced, he searched the Internet for information about Trump, President Biden, the former president’s whereabouts on July 13, and the Democratic National Convention.

In a statement on Friday, Butler Farm Show said its involvement in the gathering consisted solely of renting the venue to the Trump campaign.

“The Butler Farm Show is fully cooperating with the FBI’s ongoing investigation into this incident,” an FBI statement said. CBS Pittsburgh affiliate KDKA“Due to the sensitive nature of the investigation, we are unable to comment on the incident at this time.”

In the coming days, federal lawmakers will face questions from law enforcement about how the gunman was able to carry out the shooting.

Kimberly Cheatle, director of the Secret Service, is scheduled to testify Monday morning before the House Oversight Committee, while FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Trump is back on the campaign trail after officially being named the Republican Party’s presidential nominee. He will appear alongside his vice presidential nominee, J.D. Vance, at a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Saturday.

Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas, a White House physician during the Trump administration, has said that he has provided Trump’s medical treatment since the shooting. In a statement posted to social media Saturday, Jackson wrote that Trump was “doing well.”

Jackson said the swelling on Trump’s right ear “has now gone down” and the “wound is preparing to granulate and heal nicely.” He revealed that Trump continues to have “intermittent bleeding” that requires a bandage. Jackson said no stitches were needed.

The shooter’s high school says there is “no evidence” he auditioned for the shooting team

The high school from which Crooks graduated says there is “no evidence” he ever tried to join the school’s shooting team.

Former high school classmate Jameson Myers, a member of the Bethel Park High School shooting team, told CBS News that the shooter auditioned for the team his freshman year, but was not selected for the team his third year and did not return to audition for the team in subsequent years.

The Pennsylvania school refuted this claim in an information sheet published online.

“It has been reported that Thomas Crooks was a member of or auditioned for the Bethel Park High School rifle team but was dismissed due to poor performance or because the coach had concerns about his character,” the school said. “Thomas Crooks was never a member of the school’s rifle team and we have no record of him auditioning. The coach has no recollection of meeting him. However, it is possible that Crooks informally attended a practice, fired a shot, and never returned. We have no record of that happening.”

The school also responded to claims that the shooter had been bullied at the high school. Some classmates said that he had been an outcast. Myers, who shared the rifle team anecdote, reminded him as a “nice kid who never spoke badly about anyone” and said he was not bullied.

“According to our records, Mr. Crooks excelled academically, attended school regularly, and had no disciplinary incidents, including those related to bullying or threats,” the school said. “Mr. Crooks was known to be a quiet, intelligent young man who generally got along well with his teachers and classmates.”

An investigation into the shooter has yielded little in the way of political ideology, federal investigators told members of Congress last week. Analysis of his devices showed that he had searched for both Trump and President Biden, and had looked up where Trump would speak at his rally. He had also searched for the location of the Democratic National ConventionOn the day of the attack, he searched for photos of the ranch where Trump’s rally was held and a nearby gun shop that is cooperating with investigators, he said. CBS News affiliate KDKA.

Researchers also conducted more than 200 interviews, including with family, neighbors and coworkers. All interviewed family members said the shooter never talked about politics or ideology.