Trump Rally Gunman Reportedly Flew Drone Over Site Of Event Hours Before Shooting

Trump’s would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, reportedly flew a drone over the Pennsylvania site hours before the event, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Law enforcement officials briefed on the matter told the outlet Friday that Crooks was able to fly a drone on a programmed flight path, getting aerial footage of the rally site hours before the event on July 13. Officials noted due to the predetermined path, Crooks could have flown the drone more than once in order to research and scope the area.

The new discovery adds to a growing list of security lapses from authorities, as Republican lawmakers have urged for answers to the attempted assassination of 2024 GOP presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump.

Following the attack, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle sat down for her first interview Monday with ABC News Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas, stating that the incident was “unacceptable,” and noted the “buck stops” with her.

“The buck stops with me. I am the director of the Secret Service, and I need to make sure that we are performing a review and that we are giving resources to our personnel as necessary,” Cheatle told ABC News. “It was unacceptable and it’s something that shouldn’t happen again.”

Crooks was able to shoot multiple rounds at Trump and the crowd of supporters, from an elevated platform seated upon a shed, which had been outside of Secret Service’s security perimeter.