Trump gunman flew drone over rally site hours before assassination bid

The Pennsylvania rally site where former US president Donald Trump mounted before being shot at was explored by the gunman with the help of a drone just hours before the Republican candidate taking the stage. 

Quoting the law enforcement officials as saying, Wall Street Journal on Friday reported that the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, flew the drone ahead of Trump’s rally to examine the Butler grounds on July 13.

Highlighting the security blunders, the law enforcers said the suspect might have flown the drone a couple of times to research the site.

Normally, the Secret Service does not allow flying drones at such locations for security purpose. However, this could not be fathomed as to what happened with the Butler rally.

The security failures that allowed the gunman Trump's near assassination included failure of a local tactical team member’s targeting the attacker. Whereas, a Secret Service agent killed Crooks with one shot, despite the target’s not being clearly visible.

Trump was shot in the ear during a campaign rally on July 13, streaking the Republican presidential candidate's blood across his face and prompting his security agents to swarm him, before he emerged and pumped his fist in the air, mouthing the words "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

The shooter was dead, one rally attendee was killed and two other spectators were injured, the Secret Service said in a statement.

Trump, 78, had just started his speech when the shots rang out. He grabbed his right ear with his right hand, then brought his hand down to look at it before dropping to his knees behind the podium before Secret Service agents swarmed and covered him.

He emerged about a minute later, his red "Make America Great Again" hat knocked off, and could be heard saying, "wait, wait," before the fist bump, then agents rushed him to a black SUV.

"I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear," Trump said later on his Truth Social platform following the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, about 30 miles (50km) north of Pittsburgh. "Much bleeding took place."

The Trump campaign said he was "doing well."

Secret Service agents fatally shot the shooter after he opened fire from the roof of a building about 150 yards (140m) from the stage where Trump was speaking. The shots appeared to come from outside the area secured by the Secret Service, the agency said.

The shooting occurred less than four months before the November 5 election, when Trump faces an election rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden.

Biden said in a statement: "There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it."