08:28 A photographer took a picture, on which a projectile is likely visible
Doug Mills, a New York Times photographer, accidentally captured an image of a bullet narrowly missing Donald Trump. Michael Harrigan, a retired FBI agent, told the newspaper that the photo "could potentially show air displacement from a projectile." In general, it is possible to photograph a flying bullet, Harrigan said. Mills used a Sony Digital camera at the Trump rally, which can take up to 30 images per second. The photo was taken with a shutter speed of 1/8000 seconds.
08:00 Alleged Shooter Identified as Republican The FBI has identified the alleged shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks. He is a 20-year-old man from the small town of Bethel Park in the US state of Pennsylvania, an hour south of Butler, where the Trump rally took place. According to the "Washington Post," Crooks is registered as a Republican.
07:46 Expert: "Secret Service Needs to Answer Some Questions" Donald Trump, as an ex-President and candidate, is under the protection of the Secret Service. There are highest security precautions at all campaign events, as Obama's former campaign advisor Julius van de Laar reports. It needs to be worked out how it was possible that a shooter was able to attack, despite these precautions.
07:38 World Leaders Express Shock World leaders reacted in shock to the attack on Ex-President Trump. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X, she is deeply shocked, wishes Trump a quick recovery, and expresses her condolences to the innocent victim's family. "Political violence has no place in a democracy," writes von der Leyen. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also expressed similar sentiments. "My thoughts are with former President Trump, the participants of the event, and all Americans."
The United Nations also condemned the attack on Trump. "The Secretary-General strongly condemns this act of political violence," the spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres said. "He wishes President Trump a swift recovery." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shares that he is "appalled" by the news of the attack. "Such violence has no justification and no place in the world. Never should violence prevail." Zelenskyy also wishes Trump a quick recovery.
Biden stated on Saturday evening (local time) that he was grateful that Trump was safe and doing well. In the USA, there is "no place for this kind of violence."
07:21 Open Questions to the Secret Service FBI Agent Kevin Rojek spoke at a press conference and found it "surprising" that the shooter was able to fire multiple shots. In response to a question about security measures, he said that such questions should be answered by the Secret Service. Although the name suggests otherwise, the Secret Service is not an intelligence agency, but (among other things) responsible for the security of US Presidents and former US Presidents.
"They conduct the initial security assessments and determine where the various security locations should be," Rojek said. "And they are the ones responsible for securing the crime scene." A representative of the Secret Service was not present at the press conference. "Nobody was available," Rojek said.
07:04 Trump in New Jersey, apparently unharmedA Trump spokesperson posted a video, which shows Trump leaving an airport in New Jersey without assistance. His injured ear is not visible in the video. The Republicans have announced that the Nominating Convention will go ahead as planned; the Convention takes place from Monday to Thursday in Milwaukee. There, Trump will officially be nominated as the Republican candidate for President. US President Biden stated that the Democrats would stop all campaign ads as soon as possible.
06:50 Shooter fired from a roof near the rallyAnthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the Secret Service, stated that the shooter had "fired multiple shots towards the stage" and was located "on an elevated position" outside the event venue. This likely means there was a roof near the gathering.
06:39 Shooter is apparently a 20-year-old from PennsylvaniaThe person who shot Trump is a 20-year-old man from Pennsylvania, according to a source familiar with the investigation to the "Washington Post". The FBI officially stated that they have not yet identified the shooter but are "close to identification". The shooter is deceased. According to the Pennsylvania police, it is too early to say whether it was a lone gunman. However, there is no indication of "any further threat".
06:25 Media: Trump discharged from hospitalTrump was discharged from the hospital late on Saturday evening (local time), according to a report by the Bloomberg news agency.
06:01 FBI confirms attempted assassination of Ex-President Trump at rallyFollowing the shooting at a campaign rally in the US state of Pennsylvania, the FBI has classified the incident as an "attempted assassination" against former President Donald Trump. FBI Agent Kevin Rojek in Butler, the location of the rally, stated, "This is an attempted assassination against our former President Donald Trump." According to authorities, Trump was injured in the ear, and besides the alleged shooter, a spectator was killed, and two others were seriously injured.
04:41 Biden calls Trump after the attackUS President Joe Biden personally called Trump after the attack, according to the White House, without disclosing the contents of the conversation. On Sunday, Biden will be briefed by law enforcement agencies about the status of the investigation, the statement continues.
03:58 Republicans plan to hold Convention despite Trump attackThe US Republicans plan to hold the Nominating Convention in Milwaukee this week as planned, despite the attack on their presidential candidate Donald Trump. The party and Trump's campaign team made this joint statement. The Republicans are expected to gather in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, starting Monday to officially nominate the 78-year-old as their presidential candidate.
03:54 Authorities: Shooter fired from an elevated positionDuring the attack on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, the alleged shooter opened fire from an "elevated position" outside the event venue. One spectator was killed, and two others were seriously injured, according to the Secret Service. Initially, there was talk of a seriously injured person.
02:55 Trump: I was hit by a bullet in the earThe former US President Donald Trump, according to his own statements, was injured by a bullet at a campaign event. "I was hit by a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear," Trump writes on his self-founded platform Truth Social.
00:33 Shots fired at Trump: Security guards escort ex-President off stageThe former US President Donald Trump was escorted off the stage at a campaign event in the state of Pennsylvania by security personnel. Before that, shots were heard. In the images, Trump is seen with a bloody ear and raised fist.
- Regarding the United States Presidency Election 2024, Joe Biden expressed his wishes for a peaceful and violence-free campaign, stating, "In the USA, there is 'no place for this kind of violence'."
- During an interview about the 2024 election, when asked about the security incident involving former President Donald Trump, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized, "Political violence has no place in a democracy," echoing Biden's sentiments.
