The U.S. probe into the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump is ongoing and investigators are still assessing the motive of the shooter, according to the head of the FBI.
Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray told U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday that his agency is working “tirelessly” to get to the bottom of the July 13 shooting. Wray disclosed new details about the investigation, which is being led by the FBI, including that the shooter apparently used a drone to view footage of the area near the location of the attack.
“I want to assure you and the American people that the men and women of the FBI will continue to work tirelessly to get to the bottom of what happened,” he said in testimony at a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee.
U.S. officials have said 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks climbed up on a roof within sight of the outdoor stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, and fired a semi-automatic rifle, injuring Trump, killing an attendee and wounding two others. A Secret Service sharpshooter then killed Crooks.
The FBI has said its investigation so far indicates Crooks acted alone, wasn’t known to the bureau prior to the attack and that technicians have accessed his phone and are analyzing his electronic devices.
Wray told lawmakers Wednesday that investigators found Crooks had used encrypted messaging apps. He added that investigators found eight cartridges on the roof of the building from which officials have said shots were fired.
Investigators think that Crooks flew a drone in the area about two hours prior to the shooting and had two “relatively crude” explosive devices in his car when he was on the roof that could be remotely detonated, Wray added.
In addition to the FBI’s investigation, lawmakers have also launched probes. Kimberly Cheatle, who was serving as head of the Secret Service at the time of the shooting, resigned on Tuesday.
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