Posted on 07/19/2024 9:22:29 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
It keeps getting worse: Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania, reportedly flew a drone over the rally area shortly before he executed his attack. Crooks scaled a rooftop unmolested, despite scores of attendees watching him army crawl on the roof, which was left unprotected by the Secret Service, as he lined up to take shots at Trump.
The roof was less than 200 yards from the stage. Donald Trump Jr. responded to this update tweeting, "Just to underscore how crazy this all is, I was once prevented flying my own drone off of the beach at Mar-a-Lago by USSS because my father was inside the house" (via WSJ):
WSJ, breaking: “The gunman who tried to kill Donald Trump was able to fly a drone and get aerial footage of the western Pennsylvania fairgrounds shortly before the former president was set to speak there, law-enforcement officials briefed on the matter said, further underscoring…— Josh Kraushaar (@JoshKraushaar) July 19, 2024
A gunman who tried to kill Donald Trump was able to fly a drone and get aerial footage of the western Pennsylvania fairgrounds shortly before the former president was set to speak there, law-enforcement officials briefed on the matter said, further underscoring the stunning security lapses ahead of Trump’s near assassination.
Thomas Matthew Crooks flew the drone on a programmed flight path earlier in the day on July 13 to scour the Butler Farm Show grounds ahead of Trump’s ill-fated rally, the officials said. The predetermined path, the officials added, suggests Crooks flew the drone more than once as he researched and scoped out the event site.
The 20-year-old would-be assassin fired at least six rounds from the roof of the American Glass Research building roughly 400 feet away from where Trump spoke, killing one spectator, critically injuring two others and leaving Trump with a graze wound to the ear. A Secret Service sniper team shot back, killing Crooks, whose motive remains a mystery.
Multiple investigations are under way into how a gunman was able to climb onto a rooftop with a clear line of sight to Trump and open fire with an AR-15 rifle. Police had become suspicious of Crooks more than an hour earlier, when officers saw him milling about the edges of the rally with a range finder and a backpack.
FOX NEWS ALERT: ‘Trump gunman flew drone over rally site hours before event,’ reports WSJ.
“Unbelievable. There are growing questions for the Secret Service Director - this is getting worse by the day,” says @IngrahamAngle with reaction from @MarshaBlackburn. pic.twitter.com/0YjLudtOJn— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) July 20, 2024
Why the Secret Service left the rooftop unprotected remains the predominant issue, especially since it was flagged as a security vulnerability. There were snipers in the adjacent building at the time of the attack, with another Secret Service sniper team having their sights on Crooks two minutes before he fired the first shot. Yet, even before the rally, the Secret Service was informed that there was a credible threat against Trump’s life 10 minutes before he took the stage but allowed him to proceed anyway.
Trump was the target of an Iranian assassination plot, so he was given increased security, and this shooting still occurred. Trump missed a fatal headshot by millimeters. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) revealed today that most of Trump’s security detail weren’t even Secret Service agents. There is a mountain of questions that need answers. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle should be prepared to be grilled when he testified before the House Oversight Committee on Monday.
Authorities spotted crooks over an hour before he scaled the roof, being caught scouting the location with a rangefinder. It's a security failure worthy of Cheatle's resignation, but she has the protection of Jill Biden, who reportedly pushed for her to get the job.
Just to underscore how crazy this all is, I was once prevented flying MY OWN drone off of the beach at Mar-a-Lago by USSS because my father was inside the house…
Now we have one literally scouting his speech!!! 🤬 https://t.co/M3BAENqT4f— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 20, 2024
UPDATE: What a mess via Bill Melugin:
NEW: Per federal law enforcement source w/ knowledge of the security planning for Trump’s Butler, PA rally, the event was staffed by 22 Secret Service agents, including advance, assault, and sniper teams, 16 HSI agents, and it is believed there was no SS drone in the air.
Per…— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) July 19, 2024
Per federal law enforcement source w/ knowledge of the security planning for Trump’s Butler, PA rally, the event was staffed by 22 Secret Service agents, including advance, assault, and sniper teams, 16 HSI agents, and it is believed there was no SS drone in the air.
Per source, Secret Service did not request any tactical support from HSI (Homeland Security Investigations) beforehand, including the HSI elite Special Response team. HSI agents were assigned to “post standing” security duties at the street entrance and the media area, and were not responsible for the close proximity around Trump, or the buildings on the exterior of the area where the shooter was.
The entire operational security plan was created and carried out by Secret Service, which told HSI and local law enforcement where they needed bodies, and was responsible for the advance planning.
A 20 year old had a drone and the secret service, with a budget of $3.6 billion, did not. https://t.co/RB3O2lXhbl— Rosie Memos (@almostjingo) July 19, 2024
Sorry — my mistake. He was said to have rappelled to the ground; no zipline. Again, this was something reported secondhand by Hal Turner.
I just caught it myself an hour or so ago.
>> The shirts say POLICE!
IIRC at the Trump rally I attended, the tactical-dressed SS (like the ones that manned security) wore uniforms that just said “POLICE”, they weren’t identified as SS. There *were* local police all around as well, but they were obvious because they were in their local uniforms.
Early news on this incident, I remember a dispute of military service for Crooks, but no military records. Sheep Dip came to my mind. What you suggested is entirely possible.
I’ve known people who have had that background. All military records are made unsearchable.
The forensic analysis you spoke of, it very compelling. It also means he had at least 2 possibly 3 accomplices.
With 20 Secret Service and 19 DHS agents involved, my gut tells me the accomplices are in the DHS sector.
And that a sniper in the Secret Service group killed Crooks.
DOJ and FIB will both hide all of this. Along with Lying Mayorkas’s DHS.
FIB is already burying the details DEEP.
https://storyarcadia.com/lies-poem-the-fragile-truth/
The Fragile Truth
In the web of deceit, the truth is obscured
Like a tangled forest, where paths are blurred
Words twisted and turned, like vines in the night
Hiding the darkness, out of sight
But lies are fragile, like delicate glass
Shattering under the weight of their mass
They crumble and crack, revealing what’s true
Exposing the heartache they put us through
Yet still we believe in their sweet siren song
As if truth were something we could prolong
But in the end, it’s honesty that prevails
Breaking down barriers and lifting veils
So let us be wary of falsehoods and guile
And seek out the truth with an unwavering smile
For in its embrace, we find peace at last
Free from the burden of lies that have passed.
Something fishy here. Too many oversights for this to be incompetence.
>> So let us be wary of falsehoods and guile
>> And seek out the truth with an unwavering smile
AMEN! Thank you for posting that poem!
I’ve read that that photo is not of the actual sniper who killed Crooks.
After studying the Audio forensics analysis of the rifle shots, there were 1-2 other shooters besides the SS counter sniper.
I suspect those will be found within the 19 DHS employees on the site.
If the muzzle,is sticking out the window, you sure will hear the report.
My point, he had already flown the same pattern before and it was in memory. That made the exposure of the drone’s presence for a shorter time.
Ahha!
That explains the HOW - but the WHY is dangling in the wind.
...and an echo.
more expensive drone.
Before Crooks fired and watching Crooks.
First Sniper returns fire.
Other sniper in action.
Nope, in none of those pictures do either have their finger pulling the trigger.
It’s hard to photograph the exact moment. If you are a photographer, you know that very well.
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