CHICAGO/WASHINGTON, July 14: Former US president Donald Trump survived an attempt on his life on Saturday when a young shooter fired multiple shots at him at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, injuring his right ear, days before he was to accept the Republican Party’s nomination for the presidential election in November.
Trump, 78, was speaking at the packed outdoor election rally in Butler town when bullets started flying. Video footage showed him grabbing his ear as shots were fired. The incident left the gunman and a rally-goer dead.
The crowd started screaming behind him and then someone yelled “Get down, get down, get down, get down!” as Secret Service agents piled on top of Trump to shield him. The shooting created chaos with people in the back of the venue immediately running to the exits.
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As blood gushed from his ear, Trump was then rushed off stage. He boldly pumped his fist into the air and told the crowd to “fight!” He was then whisked away in a car to a Pittsburgh-area hospital.
“Let me get my shoes,” Trump said as he was escorted to the safe place.
The shooting, which left one spectator dead and two others critically injured, is being investigated as an attempted assassination. The male attacker was also shot and killed by a member of the Secret Service. (PTI)
A spokesperson for the Trump Campaign said the former president is “fine” after the “heinous act.”
The gunman was identified by the FBI as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park. He was registered to vote as a Republican.
In a post on his Truth Social media account, Trump elaborated on what happened and described his injuries:
“It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead. I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realised then what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!” Trump wrote.
The incident happened two days before the start of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where Trump will formally become the party’s nominee for the November 5 presidential election.
In a news conference, Kevin Rojek, FBI special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh office, said it was “surprising” the gunman was able to fire multiple shots.
“This evening, we had what we’re calling an assassination attempt against our former President Donald Trump,” said Rojek.
“We’re still working through the security apparatus that the Secret Service had in place, what potentially happened,” he added.
“There’s going to be a long investigation into exactly what took place and how the individual was able to get access to the location, what type of weapon he had. All that is really days, weeks, and months of investigation.”
Bomb-clearing assets were deployed at the scene of the shooting out of an “abundance of caution,” said the FBI.
When asked whether authorities knew what kind of gun was used or how many shots were fired, George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police followed up by saying that officials had “a good idea of what the weapon was” but that it was still part of the investigation.
Bivens said that they plan to release information on what caused delays in identifying the shooter. Rojek added that the FBI has not yet identified the shooter’s motive.
The FBI has deployed investigative agents, evidence response teams, and other personnel from across the country.
The suspect fired from between 200ft and 300ft away on an elevated shed with an AR-style rifle, multiple law enforcement officers told CBS News.
“As was communicated earlier this evening, President Trump is doing well and grateful to law enforcement and first responders for their fast action,” his campaign said.
US President Joe Biden spoke to Trump, his November election opponent, a White House official said.
The White House official did not say what the two spoke about.
Addressing the nation about two hours after the shooting, he said “We cannot allow this to be happening,” Biden said. “The idea that there’s violence in America like this is just unheard of.”
Republican and Democratic leaders have condemned the attack on Trump.
