The shooter who shot Donald Trump during a rally last week reportedly flew over the site with a drone just hours before the former president’s speech.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, is said to have operated the drone on a pre-programmed flight path to survey the terrain ahead of Trump’s 6pm speech in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
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The flight path of the drone, according to the Wall Street Journalsuggests that the drone circled the location several times as Crooks studied the landscape and examined the event site.
Police also believe Crooks physically went to the rally site that morning, stayed for about an hour and left before using the drone later that day.
Later, Crooks headed to a rooftop just about 400 feet from where the 78-year-old Republican presidential candidate was speaking.
He allegedly climbed over an air conditioning unit accessible from the ground and climbed to the top of the building located outside the security perimeter.
Once on the roof and lying face down, Crooks fired at least six shots at the former president.
None hit Trump, just grazed him, as he later said The New York Post Office that a small piece of his right ear was torn off by the bullet.
But stray bullets struck and killed a rally participant, former volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore, and two others who were seriously injured.
26 seconds after the first shot, a Secret Service countersniper stationed on a rooftop near the stage returned fire and immediately killed Crooks, according to authorities.
Donald Trump rally filming schedule
Donald Trump was shot during his rally in Pennsylvania on July 13.
1 p.m.: Doors open on the grounds of the Butler Farm Show, where Trump was scheduled to speak at 5 p.m.
4:11 pm: Sean Parnell gave the opening speech.
4:35pm: David McCormick rallied the crowd.
5:10 p.m.: Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, later identified as the shooter, was first identified as a person of interest.
5:30 p.m.: Crooks was located with a rangefinder.
5:30 p.m.: Crowds were still waiting for Trump.
5:52 p.m.: Crooks was located on the roof by the Secret Service.
6:02 pm: Trump takes the stage.
6:09 p.m.: Two sniper teams positioned in buildings to the north and south, behind the rally stage, have been repositioned and locked down in Crooks.
6:12 p.m.: Shots were fired toward the stage as Trump delivered remarks.
6:12 p.m.: The Secret Service returns fire, confirming that the shooter is dead.
6:12 p.m.: Trump was led off stage by Secret Service agents.
6:42 pm: The Secret Service confirmed that Trump is safe.
7:24 p.m.: The shooter and a rally attendee are confirmed dead by police.
8:42 pm: Trump confirms he was shot in the ear, sharing a statement on Truth Social.
8:49 p.m.: The Secret Service confirms that the shooter and a rally attendee are dead. Two others remain seriously injured.
Since the shooting, several investigations have been launched into Crooks and the Secret Service’s handling of the crisis.
Authorities have since searched Crooks’ phone and computer but have not found any significant information about his motives behind the shooting or anything else substantial that would raise any red flags.
The criminals’ most suspicious searches appear to include only the names of Trump and Biden, information about the Democratic National Convention, and facts about members of the British royal family.
In fact, his last Internet searches before his death were reportedly for pornography, according to The Daily Beast.
Adding to investigators’ confusion, Crooks was reportedly a registered Republican and former Trump supporter.
Neighbors also reported describing Crooks as a staunch conservative, having seen pro-Trump signs in the family’s yard several months ago, according to the local ABC affiliate. WTAE-TV.
For at least 20 minutes before the gunman opened fire, Secret Service agents were aware of Crooks’ presence on the roof, law enforcement officials confirmed. ABC.
Kimberly Cheatle, director of the Secret Service, was subpoenaed to testify before Congress about the security measures and failures that day.
However, some legal experts stressed that the Secret Service was limited to operating within the constraints of Pennsylvania law.
Pennsylvania is an open carry state, meaning residents can be in public and openly display their firearms legally, including AR-style weapons, according to State Law and the National Rifle Association.
And because the roof was technically outside the Secret Service’s hard perimeter, agents weren’t authorized to open fire on Crooks until they were sure he was a threat.
Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe, whose department stopped Crooks on the roof shortly before he opened fire, said The New York Post Office he was called in by the Secret Service to help at the time after Crooks was located.
And Cheatle defends his agency’s handling of the situation, saying it was a “difficult” situation.
“Searching for this person, finding him, identifying him and eventually neutralizing him occurred in a very short period of time,” Cheatle said during an interview with ABC.
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