Christopher Wray, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has now reportedly stated that investigators are currently of the opinion that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the would-be assassin of Donald J. Trump, was not only documenting the rally site in Butler, Pennsylvania with drone footage prior to the attack, but was also live streaming the feed to unknown entities.
“We have recovered a drone that the shooter appears to have used… The drone was recovered in his vehicle.” Wray said during an appearance before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
“[I]t appears that around 3:50 PM, 4 o’clock, in that window, on the day of the shooting, that the shooter was flying the drone around the area… Not over the stage and that part of the area, [but] around 200 yards, give or take, away from [the stage]. We think, but we do not know… that he was live streaming, you know, viewing the footage,” he continued.
JUST IN: The Trump rally shooter flew a drone about 200 yards from the rally venue, and had it up in the air for about 11 minutes, just hours before the shooting, FBI Director Christopher Wray told the House Judiciary Committee. https://t.co/ae9DipuKkj pic.twitter.com/5RcJX4zUCG
— ABC News (@ABC) July 24, 2024
It remains unclear if Crooks was livestreaming the footage to other, unknown, individuals or whether he was only viewing it himself.
Crooks is believed to have transmitted this footage on a platform that Wray has so far not disclosed.
Additionally, Wray reported that three explosive devices were recovered: two from Crooks’s vehicle and one from his residence.
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