Trump shooting updates: Shooter flew drone near site hours before shooting

One spectator was killed and two were hurt in the shooting on July 13.

ByIvan Pereira, Mark Osborne, Kevin Shalvey, Emily Shapiro, and Leah Sarnoff
Video byEmmanuelle Saliba and Jessie DiMartino
Last Updated: July 24, 2024, 4:49 PM EDT

Federal authorities are investigating after former President Donald Trump was shot in the ear in an assassination attempt at an election rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.

The alleged shooter was killed by snipers. One spectator was killed and two were hurt, officials said.

Trump Rally Shooting: Slideshow

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Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign rally, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa.
Evan Vucci/AP

    Latest headlines:

    Here's how the news is developing.
    Jul 15, 2024, 3:11 PM EDT

    FBI gained access to shooter's phone, finished searching his home and car

    The FBI said it's gained access to suspected gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks’ phone and investigators are continuing to analyze his electronic devices.

    Searches of Crooks’ home and car are complete, the FBI said.

    The FBI said it’s continuing to investigate the shooting "as an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and as potential domestic terrorism."

    Nearly 100 law enforcement officials, attendees and other witnesses have been interviewed, the FBI said. "That work continues," the FBI added.

    Jul 15, 2024, 2:50 PM EDT

    Before shooting, Crooks told his dad he was going to gun range: Source

    On the day of the shooting, the 20-year-old suspected gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, told his father that he wanted to go to the gun range, so his dad let him use his AR-15-style rifle, according to a source familiar with the matter.

    Crooks would occasionally go target shooting and use his father's gun, the source told ABC News. Since this wasn't an unusual occurrence, the father didn't think anything of it at the time, the source said.

    Crooks recently purchased ammunition both online and in person, the source said.

    An aerial view shows the site during the police investigation into gunfire at a campaign rally of Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump, in Butler, Pa., July 14, 2024.
    Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters

    -ABC News’ Mike Levine

    Jul 15, 2024, 2:26 PM EDT

    Secret Service director to address House Oversight Committee on July 22

    Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle will address the GOP-led House Committee on Oversight and Accountability at 10 a.m. on Monday, July 22.

    "The United States Secret Service has a no-fail mission, yet it failed on Saturday," committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said in a statement Monday.

    "Americans demand answers from Director Kimberly Cheatle about these security lapses and how we can prevent this from happening again," he said.

    Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump waves from the stage as he is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa.
    Evan Vucci/AP

    Jul 15, 2024, 2:04 PM EDT

    Building where gunman was found was officer staging area

    The building where gunman Thomas Crooks scrambled onto the roof and opened fire was the staging area for the local police tactical team doing overwatch of the crowd, two law enforcement officials told ABC News.

    Sources previously told ABC News that the building had been swept, but investigators are trying to determine whether roof access had been properly locked down.

    The gunman gained roof access without a ladder, according to a source briefed on the preliminary findings.

    An aerial view shows the site during the police investigation into gunfire at a campaign rally of Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump, in Butler, Pa., July 14, 2024.
    Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters

    -ABC News' Josh Margolin and Aaron Katersky

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