US media: Drone flown in area before assassination attempt on Trump

The investigation into the assassination attempt on presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump on July 13 in the US continues.

According to reports by US media citing law enforcement sources, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attempted to assassinate Trump and was killed at the scene, flew a drone over the rally site hours before Trump took the stage to capture footage of the area.

A high-level law enforcement source stated that a drone and drone equipment were recovered from Crooks' vehicle. It has been suggested that the aerial surveillance was one of the "security lapses" and that Crooks may have planned his attack based on the aerial footage he recorded. While drone flights are generally prohibited in areas secured by the US Secret Service, it remains unclear whether such a ban was enforced at Trump's rally.

The Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General has launched three investigations into the Secret Service's handling of the incident following the attack. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has also promised that an investigation will be conducted in Congress.

Trump was shot in the ear during the assassination attempt, while the attacker, Crooks, was killed by the Secret Service.

News Source: İHA