US law enforcement officials said that hours before the Trump rally in Pennsylvania, a gunman used a remote-controlled drone to capture aerial footage.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal on Friday, officials stated that on July 13, gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks flew a drone along a predetermined flight path over the rally site, preparing for an attack.
Officials added that the drone flying a pre-planned route indicated that Crooks had used drones multiple times to scout the activity site.
The 20-year-old gunman climbed onto the roof of a building about 400 feet away from where Trump was giving a speech, firing at least six shots, resulting in one audience member dead, two injured, and Trump with a grazed ear. The Secret Service sniper team then shot and killed Crooks, but his motive remains a mystery.
About an hour before the rally started, police observed Crooks wandering around the rally perimeter with a rangefinder and a backpack.
Authorities stated that the use of drones was one of the methods Crooks planned to use in the attack. His friends described him as very intelligent but also reclusive.
After Trump’s campaign team announced the rally in Pennsylvania on July 3, Crooks began researching the site and registered to attend on July 7. A few days later, he visited the site for reconnaissance.
Officials found a pair of homemade bombs in Crooks’ car on July 13, which appeared to be remote-detonatable as they contained a receiver similar to those used in remote fireworks. Additionally, there was a bulletproof vest in the car with three 30-round magazines, indicating he might have intended to cause more significant harm.
In recent months, Crooks’ family received several packages labeled “dangerous goods.” He searched online for the date of the Trump rally, as well as the Democratic National Convention next month and information on President Biden, providing investigators with various clues to determine his ideology.