FBI Reveals Attempted Trump Assassin Thomas Crooks Flew Drone Over Rally Site

FBI Director Christopher Wray revealed to the House Judiciary Committee that the would-be assassin of Donald Trump had flown a drone near the rally site in Butler, Pennsylvania, just two hours before Trump took the stage on July 13.

According to Wray’s testimony, the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, “was flying the drone around the area” of the rally, approximately 200 yards from the stage, around 4 p.m. The drone was in the air for roughly 11 minutes and investigators believe Crooks had watched a live feed from the drone on his phone.

In addition, Crooks had two explosives in his car at the time of the shooting and one in his home. However, Wray testified that Crooks likely did not have the ability to discharge the devices from the roof where he was killed, as the receivers were in the “on/off” position, which renders them inoperable.

The shooting is under investigation by the FBI as both an attempted assassination and a potential act of domestic terrorism. Investigators say that Crooks fired approximately eight times from an AR-style rifle at Trump before he was killed by a U.S. Secret Service counter-sniper.

Despite the evidence gathered, such as information gathered from Crooks’ phone, computer and search history, as well as interviewing his family and friends, investigators have struggled to identify the motivation behind the would-be assassin’s actions. Crooks had no prior contacts with the FBI and had not been previously on their radar or databases.

Notably, Crooks was a registered Republican. However, he also appeared to have made a $15 donation to the Progressive Turnout Project on Inauguration Day in 2021, as seen on Federal Election Commission records.

Wray reiterated that the FBI believes the shooter acted alone and that there is no evidence of any co-conspirators. The director also warned that the country is living in an “elevated threat environment.”