This browser does not support the Video element.
Trump gunman flew drone over rally site, per WSJ report
The gunman who tried to kill Donald Trump was able to fly a drone over the Butler Farm Show grounds shortly before former president Trump was set to speak there. This is the second piece of new information we're learning about the assassination attempt on Trump. Earlier in the day, we found out that Donald Trump’s campaign wanted to hold the rally at Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport but had to change the site to the Butler Farm Show grounds, due to a scheduling conflict.
WASHINGTON - A law enforcement official said the gunman in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump is believed to have flown a drone around the Pennsylvania rally site before firing.
Authorities believe 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks did this ahead of time in an apparent attempt to scope out the site before the event.
Crooks fired multiple rounds from the roof of a building adjacent to the Butler Farm Show grounds, where Trump was speaking, before being fatally shot by a Secret Service counter sniper. The existence of the device and its use at some point before the shooting could help explain why Crooks knew to fire from the point.
RELATED: Trump's ex-doctor reveals near-miss bullet in health update
The official who described the drone was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. Details of the drone were first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
This browser does not support the Video element.
Analyzing Trump assassination attempt
The investigation into the Trump assassination attempt continues as many questions continue to arise including whether the shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks flew a drone over the rally site. LiveNOW's Austin Westfall breaks it down with national security expert Hal Kempfer.
Trump said this week that one bullet clipped his right ear. A memo released Saturday by the Trump campaign and authored by Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson, who served as the GOP nominee’s White House physician, said that Trump sustained a gunshot wound to the right ear from a high-powered rifle that came "less than a quarter of an inch from entering his head, and struck the top of his right ear."
One of the bullets aimed toward Trump killed 50-year-old firefighter Corey Comperatore, a spectator who was in the bleachers. Two others were seriously wounded.
RELATED: Trump shooter's parents called police hours before assassination attempt
The FBI is continuing to investigate what may have motivated Crooks to carry out the attack. So far, officials have not found any ideological bent that could help explain his actions.
This browser does not support the Video element.
Update on Trump assassination attempt
The man who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania may have hid his father's AR-15 behind an AC unit, FOX News reported. LiveNOW from FOX's Josh Breslow spoke with FOX's CB Cotton for the latest.
Investigators who searched his phone found photos of Trump, President Joe Biden and other senior government officials, and also found that he had looked up the dates for the Democratic National Conventional as well as Trump's appearances. He also searched for information about major depressive order.
More details about the investigation are expected to be made public in the coming week when FBI Director Chris Wray appears before the House Judiciary Committee.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.