Photo of Thomas Matthew Crooks’ driver’s license (Image: X)
FBI Director Christopher Wray revealed to the House Judiciary Committee that Donald Trump’s would-be assassin flew a drone near the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, just two hours before Trump took the stage on July 13.
According to Wray’s testimony, the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was “flying the drone around the area” of the demonstration, about two hundred meters from the site, at around four in the afternoon. The drone remained in the air for about 11 minutes, and researchers Crooks had seen a live feed of 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 most likely did not have the ability to discharge the devices from the ceiling where he killed, as the receivers were in the “on/off” position, rendering them unusable.
The shooting is being investigated by the FBI as either a murder or a possible act of domestic terrorism. Investigators say Crooks shot about eight times with an AR-style rifle at Trump before he was killed by a U. S. Secret Service countershooter.
Despite the evidence collected, such as data obtained from Crooks’ phone, computer and search history, as well as interviews with his circle of family and friends, investigators struggled to identify the motivation for the possible killer’s movements. The scammers had no prior contact with the FBI and had never been on their radar or databases.
Notably, Crooks is a registered Republican. However, he also appears to have donated $15 to the Progressive Participation Project on Inauguration Day 2021, Federal Election Commission records show.
Wray reiterated that the FBI believes the shooter acted and that there is no evidence of accomplices. The director also warned that the country lives in a “high-risk environment. “
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