Thomas Matthew Crooks took within the lay of the land on the Donald Trump rally … reportedly by flying a drone over the occasion earlier than climbing a roof and opening fireplace.
The would-be murderer filmed aerial footage with the drone shortly earlier than Trump took the stage … regulation enforcement sources informed the Wall Road Journal.
Crooks flew the drone alongside a pre-planned route … suggesting Trump’s shooter did quantity of analysis on the website of the Butler, PA rally.
The drone was later present in Crooks’ automobile … and the Secret Service reportedly did NOT use drones to maintain watch over the occasion.
7/13/24
TMZ.com
Crooks flying a drone and recording the rally provides one other layer to the litany of safety gaffes resulting in Trump being shot onstage in an assassination try that killed a person within the crowd.
TikTok / @djlaughatme
Keep in mind … the Secret Service now says its counter snipers noticed Crooks on the roof the place he took his photographs, noticing him 20 minutes earlier than he began firing on Trump.
He was first recognized as an individual of curiosity about an hour earlier than the capturing, after which seen along with his rangefinder, 22 minutes earlier than he was first eyeballed on the rooftop.
BBC Information
Footage additionally reveals Crooks lurking across the constructing earlier than making his ascent, and there is video of attendees pointing Crooks out to regulation enforcement earlier than the assassination try.
Add Crooks’ drone to the checklist of questions Congress may have for the Secret Service.