In the latest indicator of a glaring lack of security surrounding the Pennsylvania rally where a bullet came within inches or less of killing former President Trump, sources familiar with the investigation say would-be assassin Thomas Crooks flew a drone over the event site just a few hours before he opened fire. 

As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, Crooks used the overflight to record footage of the rally layout on the grounds of the Butler Farm Show. His research of the facility began soon after the Trump campaign announced the event on July 3. He registered to attend on July 7, and soon thereafter, made the roundtrip drive of more than two hours from his Bethel Park home to recon the site in person. 

A spectator captured Thomas Crooks aiming his rifle moments before pulling the trigger (Michael Difrischia via TMZ)

According to data from the drone, Crooks — who’s said to have been highly intelligent and tech-savvy — flew it on a pre-programmed path, an official who’d been briefed on the investigation told the New York Times. The Secret Service typically bans drone flights at secured sites; NBC News reports it’s unclear if such a prohibition was imposed at the rally. Conversely, the Secret Service usually requests FAA permission to deploy drones in restricted airspace such as the Trump rally, but did not on this occasion, according to the Times. 

This new development in the investigation adds a troubling new entry to an already damning timeline on the day of the shooting, which killed spectator Corey Comperatore and wounded two others. Crooks was identified as a suspicious individual more than an hour before he opened fire from a rooftop only about 450 feet from Trump’s podium. At the time, he’d already been observed in possession of a range finder and carrying a duffel bag. Later, he was spotted on a rooftop 20 minutes before all hell broke loose. 

The layout of the rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds (via CBS News)

The drone was found in Crooks’ Hyundai Sonata. Parked near the event, it also contained two crude explosive devices, a bulletproof vest and several 30-round magazines for the rifle he used in the attack. The homemade bombs had a receiver comparable to what’s used to ignite fireworks from a distance, the Journal’s sources said. In the months leading up to the assassination attempt, Crooks received a number of packages shipped to his house marked “hazardous materials.” 

On the day before the rally, Crooks spent several hours shooting on a rifle range at the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, of which he was a member. Sources have told Fox News that Crooks used a DPMS AR-15 chambered in 5.56mm. His father bought it in 2013. 

A rifle range at the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, where would-be assassin Thomas Crooks practiced shooting the day before Trump’s rally in Butler (via Clairton Sportsmen’s Club)

On his last morning on Earth, Crooks bought a ladder at Home Depot at 9:30am; investigators don’t think he ended up using it. In the afternoon, he bought 50 rounds of ammunition. 

Investigators are reportedly still uncertain about Crooks’ specific motivation. His internet search history indicates he’d not only examined Trump’s campaign schedule, but also the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Chicago, which starts on Aug 19. He also sought images of both Trump and President Biden. Officials have told federal lawmakers that Crooks had a hatred of politicians in general, and didn’t have a distinct political profile or ideology of his own. 

What will be the next damning detail to drop?