Former President Donald Trump was targeted in an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, just days before he was set to accept the Republican nomination for a third time. Gunfire erupted, causing panic, and Trump, who said he was shot in the ear, was quickly surrounded by Secret Service agents and rushed to his SUV while showing a defiant fist pump.
Trump’s campaign reported that he was doing “fine” after being shot in the upper part of his right ear. He shared on social media that he immediately knew something was wrong when he heard a whizzing sound and felt the bullet tear through his skin, causing heavy bleeding.
The FBI identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The investigation is still ongoing. Secret Service agents shot and killed Crooks, who had attacked from a high position outside the rally venue in Butler, Pennsylvania.
One attendee was killed, and two others were critically injured. All three were men. This attack was the most serious attempt to assassinate a president or presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981. It has raised concerns about political violence in the U.S. just four months before the presidential election and could affect the security at the upcoming Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, which will proceed as planned.
After visiting a local hospital, Trump flew to New Jersey, landing at Newark Liberty International Airport shortly after midnight. Video showed him leaving his private jet, flanked by heavily armed Secret Service agents.
President Joe Biden, who is running against Trump, was briefed on the incident and spoke to Trump a few hours later. Biden condemned the violence, calling it “sick.” He planned to return to Washington early, cutting short his weekend at his beach home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
The heavily armed U.S. Secret Service counterassault team engaged the shooter, who had an AR-style rifle. Videos and photos from the scene show the shooter was surprisingly close to the stage where Trump was speaking, less than 150 meters away. The FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office confirmed that they were unaware of the shooter’s presence until he began firing.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said officials are working with both the Biden and Trump campaigns to ensure their safety and security.
