Donald Trump was shot in the right ear during a campaign rally on Saturday, sending the crowd into panic and leaving the Republican presidential candidate’s face bloody. Trump then emerged, pumping his fist in the air and appearing to mouth, “Fight! Fight! Fight!” The Secret Service said in a statement that the shooter was killed, one rally attendee was killed and two others were wounded.
#clock | Shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania (USA). Trump was escorted to his car by the US Secret Service.
“The former president is safe and further information will be released as it becomes available,” the Secret Service said in a statement.
(Source: Reuters) pic.twitter.com/289Z7ZzxpX
— Ani (@ANI) July 13, 2024
— Ani (@ANI) “I was shot above my right ear,” Trump said on his platform, Truth Social. “I was bleeding profusely. As the shots rang out, Trump clutched his right ear with his right hand, then put his hand down to look at it before kneeling behind the podium as Secret Service agents swarmed over and covered him. After about a minute, he could be heard dropping his red ‘Make America Great Again’ hat and saying, ‘Wait, wait,’ as agents escorted him to a waiting vehicle.
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The Secret Service and the former president’s campaign said Trump was safe after the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Pittsburgh. The identity and motive of the shooter were not immediately clear. Leading Republican and Democratic lawmakers quickly condemned the violence. The Secret Service said the shots appeared to have come from outside the area secured by the Secret Service.
A Washington Post reporter reported on social media, citing the Butler County district attorney, that one spectator was killed and another was seriously injured. The shooting happened less than four months before the Nov. 5 election, in which Trump faces Democrat Joe Biden for re-election. “President Trump thanks the police and emergency responders who acted swiftly in response to this heinous act. He is safe and is being examined at a local medical facility. More information will be provided at a later date,” spokesman Steven Chang said in a statement.
Shortly after Trump began speaking, shots rang out, sending him and other rally attendees to the ground. Secret Service agents surrounded Trump, who disappeared behind the podium before rushing to a waiting vehicle. Trump and Biden are locked in a tight race, with most polls, including Reuters/Ipsos, showing the two tied.
Biden said in a statement, “America has no place in this kind of violence, and we must come together as one nation to condemn it.” Ron Moose, a Trump supporter who was in the crowd, described the chaos: “I heard about four gunshots and saw people falling. Then Trump quickly ducked down. Then all the Secret Service jumped out and protected Trump as quickly as they could. I’m told they all protected Trump within a second.”
Moose said he then saw the man running and being chased by police in military uniforms. He said he heard more gunshots but didn’t know who had fired them. At that point, he said, a sniper had taken up position on the roof of a warehouse behind the stage. The BBC spoke to a man who described himself as a witness who saw a man with a rifle crawl up a roof near the event venue. The man, who the BBC did not identify, said he and a companion pointed at the man and tried to alert security. “I was thinking, why is he still talking, why aren’t they dragging him off the stage,” said the man, wearing a red Trump hat. “The next thing you know, five gunshots rang out.”
Republicans, Democrats condemn the violence
“This horrific act of political violence at a peaceful campaign rally has no place in our country and must be unanimously and strongly condemned,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said on social media.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, said he was horrified by what happened and relieved that Trump was safe. “Political violence has no place in our country,” he said. A Secret Service spokesman said on social media, “The Secret Service has protective measures in place and the former president is safe. The Secret Service is currently investigating and will release more information as it becomes available.” CNN reported that Trump was injured but did not provide further details. It is unclear how or what his injuries were.
The venue was empty, chairs overturned and yellow police tape was strung around the stage. Video showed a helicopter flying overhead and police roaming the area. Armed officers were also on a roof near the stage where Trump was standing. The Biden campaign has paused television ads and is in the process of halting all other outside communications, a campaign official said Saturday.
Trump, who served as president from 2017 to 2021, handily defeated his rivals for the Republican nomination early in the campaign and largely rallied around him a party whose support was briefly shaken after his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an attempt to overturn his 2020 election defeat.
The businessman and former reality TV star began the year facing numerous legal concerns, including four separate criminal charges.
He was convicted in late May of trying to conceal hush money payments to porn actresses, but the three other charges he faces – including two seeking to overturn his losses – have been stayed due to a variety of factors, including a Supreme Court ruling earlier this month granting him partial immunity from prosecution.
