Former President Donald Trump was targeted for assassination at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, days before he was set to accept the Republican nomination for a third time. A series of gunshots sparked panic, and Trump, who said he had been shot in the ear and was covered in blood, was surrounded by Secret Service agents and hurried to his SUV while pumping his fists in defiance.
Trump’s campaign said the presumptive Republican nominee was doing “well” after the shooting, which he said pierced the upper part of his right ear.
“I immediately knew something was wrong because I heard whizzing and gunshots and immediately felt the bullet tearing the skin. There was a lot of bleeding,” he wrote on the social media site.
Earlier Sunday, the FBI named Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as a suspect in the assassination. The agency said the investigation remains active.
One attendee died and two spectators were seriously injured, authorities said. All were identified as male. The Secret Service said it had killed the suspected shooter and that Trump was safe.
The FBI said at a news conference Saturday night that it was not prepared to release the identity of the shooter and had not determined a motive for the assassination attempt.
The attack was the deadliest assassination attempt on a president or presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981. Concerns about political violence in a deeply polarized United States. That could change the tone and security posture of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Monday.
Organizers said the conference will go ahead as planned.
After visiting a local hospital in Pennsylvania, Trump flew to New Jersey, landing at Newark Liberty International Airport shortly after midnight. Footage released by an aide shows the former president stepping off his private jet surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents and heavily armed members of the agency’s counter-assault team – an unusually visible show of force for his protective detail.
The White House said President Joe Biden, who is running against Trump, was briefed on the incident and spoke with Trump hours after the shooting.
“America will not tolerate this kind of violence,” the president said in a public speech. “It’s sick. It’s sick.
Biden plans to return to Washington early, cutting short his weekend at his beach house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Many Republicans were quick to blame Biden and his allies for the violence, viewing the continued attacks on Trump as a threat to democracy, creating a toxic environment. They singled out Biden’s comments to donors on July 8, saying “it’s time to put Trump in the bullseye.”
In the coming days, much of the focus will shift to the shooter and the security breach. The gunman did not attend the rally but was killed by U.S. Secret Service agents, two officials told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.
Officials said the gunman was engaged by members of a U.S. Secret Service counter-assault team. Heavily armed tactical teams travel with the president and major party nominees, aiming to respond to any active threats, while other agents focus on protecting and evacuating those at the center of the protection.
Law enforcement recovered an AR-style rifle at the scene, according to a third person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.
An Associated Press analysis of more than a dozen videos and photos from the Trump rally, as well as satellite images of the scene, showed that the gunman had surprisingly close access to the stage where the former president was delivering his speech. A video posted by The Associated Press on social media showed a man in gray camouflage lying motionless on the roof of the AGR International building, a manufacturing plant in Butte where the Trump rally was held. North of Le Farm Show Grounds.
The rooftop where the man lay was less than 150 meters (164 yards) from where Trump was speaking, a distance at which a decent shooter could reasonably hit a human-sized target. For reference, U.S. Army recruits must hit a range of 150 meters before using an M-16 rifle. The AR-15, the same one used by the gunmen at Trump rallies, is a semi-automatic civilian version of the military M-16.
Asked at a news conference whether law enforcement knew the gunman was on the roof before the shots were fired, Kevin Rojack, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, responded, “That’s our current assessment.”
He added that it was “amazing” that the gunman was able to open fire on the stage before the Secret Service killed him.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who oversees the Secret Service, said officials were in contact with the Biden and Trump campaigns and “taking every possible step to ensure their safety.”
A rally was interrupted by gunfire
Trump was showing a chart of border crossings when shots rang out just after 6:10 p.m.
As the first crack rang out, Trump said, “Oh,” then he raised his hand to his right ear, looked at it, and quickly squatted on the ground behind the podium. People in the stands behind him also squatted down, and screams came one after another from the crowd.
Someone near the microphone could be heard saying: “Get down, get down, get down, get down!” as agents rushed onto the stage. Following their training protocol, they piled on top of the former president, protecting him with their bodies while other agents took up positions on the stage, looking for threats.
Thousands of screams rang out from the crowd. One woman screamed louder than the others. “The gunman is down,” was then heard multiple times, followed by questions like “Can we go?” and “Are we clear?” Then, someone ordered: “Let’s go.”
Trump can be heard saying at least twice in the video, “Let me get my shoes, let me get my shoes,” and another voice says, “Sir, I got you.”
After a moment, Trump stood up and his right hand could be seen reaching for his face, which was covered in blood. He then pumped his fist in the air and appeared to say the word “fight” twice to his supporters, prompting loud cheers and then chants of “USA.” USA. USA.
The crowd cheered as he stood up and pumped his fist.
Shortly after, his motorcade left the field. The video shows Trump turning to face the crowd and raising his fists before being put into his car.
Witnesses heard multiple gunshots and took cover
“Everybody was on their knees or prone because we all knew, everybody realized it was gunshots,” said Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick, who was seated on the stage to Trump’s right. )explain.
McCormick said when he saw Trump raise his fist, he looked back and saw someone sitting in the stands behind the stage had been hit.
Eventually, first responders removed the victim from the crowd so he could receive medical attention, McCormick said.
Reporters covering the rally heard five or six gunshots as many people sought cover under tables. After two or three loud noises, everyone in the crowd looked shocked, but not panicked. An Associated Press reporter at the scene reported that the noise initially sounded like firecrackers or possibly a car backfiring.
When it became apparent that the situation was under control and that Trump would not return to speak, attendees began filing out of the venue. A man in an electric wheelchair was stranded on the field after his chair’s battery died. Others tried to help him move.
Police quickly asked the remaining people to leave the venue, with Secret Service agents telling reporters to “get out now.” This is the scene of the crime scene.
Two firefighters from nearby Steubenville, Ohio, who attended the rally told The Associated Press they helped people who appeared to be injured and heard bullets hitting the radio speakers.
“Bullets rumbled around the stands, one hit the speaker tower, and then chaos ensued. “We fell to the ground, and then police converged on the stands,” Chris Takacs said.
“The first thing I heard was a couple of pops,” Dave Sullivan said.
Sullivan said he saw one of the speakers hit, the bullets rattling, “and we hit the deck.”
He said that once the Secret Service and other authorities converged on Trump, he and Takach assisted two people who may have been shot in the stands and cleared a path for them to leave.
“This is a sad day for America,” Sullivan said.
“When we heard the gunshots, the hydraulic lines were spraying all around and you could see hydraulic fluid coming out of them. And then the speaker tower started to collapse,” Sullivan said. “Then we heard another gunshot and you could hear, you know something, it was a bullet. It wasn’t a firecracker.
Political violence rocks America again
The dangers of the campaign became more pressing after the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in California in 1968, and in 1972 Arthur Bremer shot and seriously injured George Whalley George Wallace ran as an independent on a platform that was sometimes criticized. This resulted in increased protection for candidates, although threats remained, notably against Jesse Jackson in 1988 and Barack Obama in 2008.
Presidents, especially after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, had higher levels of security. Trump is a rarity, both as a former president and as a current presidential candidate.
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, three people on Trump’s vice presidential shortlist, quickly issued statements expressing their disapproval. Concerned by the former president, Rubio shared a photo of Trump taken during the campaign.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said in a statement on June 1 that he had been informed of the situation and that Pennsylvania police were at the rally.
“Violence against any political party or political leader is absolutely unacceptable. It has no place in Pennsylvania or the United States,” he said.
