Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was the target of an apparent assassination attempt on Saturday during a rally in Pennsylvania. A barrage of gunfire caused panic, and a bloodied Trump, who reported being shot in the ear, was surrounded by Secret Service agents and quickly escorted to his SUV. The shooting began shortly after Trump took his position at the podium on stage.
President Joe Biden, reacting to the incident, said that “everybody must condemn” the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
Speaking to the nation about two hours after the incident, Biden expressed relief that Trump is reportedly “doing well.” He mentioned that he had been unable to reach Trump before his address, but the White House later confirmed that he spoke to Trump several hours afterward.
What do we know about the shooter?
– The shooter is deceased, one rally attendee was killed, and two other spectators were injured, according to a Secret Service statement.
– The shooter was not an attendee at the rally and was killed by U.S. Secret Service agents. NBC News reported that the shooter was male, though his identity has not yet been confirmed.
– The shooter was engaged by the US Secret Service counterassault team, a heavily armed tactical unit that accompanies the president and major party nominees to address active threats while other agents focus on protection and evacuation.
– Law enforcement recovered an AR-style rifle at the scene, according to a source familiar with the ongoing investigation who requested anonymity.
What exactly happened?
Trump was showcasing a chart of border crossing statistics when apparent shots were fired just after 6.10 pm (local time) at fairgrounds in Butler, Pennsylvania. Within two minutes of the first shot, Trump was placed in a waiting SUV.
As Trump was speaking, a popping noise was heard, prompting him to raise his right hand to his ear, while the audience behind him appeared shocked.
When the first pop sounded, Trump exclaimed, “Oh,” and grabbed his ear as two more pops followed, causing him to crouch down. More shots were then heard.
Near the microphone at Trump’s lectern, someone could be heard saying, “Get down, get down, get down, get down!” as agents tackled the former president. They shielded him with their bodies according to their training protocol, while other agents took positions on stage to locate the threat.
At least five shots rang out. Trump clutched his ear as Secret Service agents in dark suits rushed toward him.
Moments later, Trump stood as Secret Service agents surrounded him, using their bodies as shields. They attempted to escort him offstage to his left as blood trickled from his ear. “Wait, wait, wait,” Trump said. He pumped his fist as the crowd cheered and seemed to mouth the word “fight” before agents hustled him down the stairs and into a waiting black SUV. Trump pumped his fist once more before getting inside.
The local district attorney reported that the shooter and one rally attendee were dead. In a statement issued shortly after the incident, which officials described as an apparent assassination attempt, Trump’s campaign stated he was “fine.”
(With inputs from agencies)
