Gunman Thomas Crooks shot former President Donald Trump in the ear at a Pennsylvania rally after flying a drone over the site hours before the attack. The drone, made by DJI, provided Crooks with an overhead view that may have aided in planning the assassination attempt. Crooks was killed by the Secret Service after shooting Trump at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The use of the drone raises concerns about security failures that allowed Crooks to get close to the former president. The Secret Service typically bans drones from secured areas, but it is unclear if they did so at the rally. Investigators were able to recover a drone and equipment from Crooks’ vehicle, and are still working to determine his motive for trying to kill Trump.
The Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General has launched three probes into the Secret Service following the shooting, with a focus on how the agency secured the political campaign event in Butler. House Speaker Mike Johnson has also announced plans for a Congressional investigation, and Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is set to testify before the House Oversight Committee.
The investigation into the attempted assassination of Trump is ongoing, with multiple parties contributing to the effort, including reporters Michael Kosnar, Ken Dilanian, Phil Helsel, Tom Winter, Andrew Blankstein, and Jonathan Dienst.
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