09:15 Scholz condemns the attack
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz expresses himself on X about the attempted attack on Trump: "The attack on US presidential candidate Donald Trump is despicable. I wish him a quick recovery. My thoughts are also with the people who were affected by the attack. Such acts threaten democracy."
08:28 Photo taken of possible projectileNew York Times photographer Doug Mills apparently took a photo at the exact moment a bullet narrowly missed Donald Trump. The photo "could potentially show the air displacement from a projectile", says Michael Harrigan, a retired FBI agent, who spoke to the newspaper. In principle, it is possible to photograph a flying bullet, Harrigan added. 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 registered as a RepublicanThe 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. Crooks is registered as a Republican. According to reports he donated $15 to a Democratic donation organization on the day of Biden's inauguration in January 2021.
The New York Post points out that Crooks was only 17 years old at the time of the donation. In September 2021, he registered as a member of the Republican Party when he turned 18.
07:46 Expert: "Secret Service must answer some questions"Donald Trump, as an ex-President and candidate, is under the protection of the Secret Service. There are highest security measures in place at all campaign events, as Obama's former campaign advisor Julius van de Laar reports. It now needs to be worked out how it was possible that a shooter was able to approach, despite these precautions.
07:38 World leaders react in shockWorld leaders reacted in shock to the attack on Ex-President Trump. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen writes on X, she is deeply shocked, wishes Trump a quick recovery, and expresses her condolences to the family of the innocent victim. "Political violence has no place in a democracy", she writes. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also expresses himself similarly. "My thoughts are with former President Trump, the participants of the event, and all Americans."
The United Nations also condemns the attack on Trump. "The Secretary-General strongly condemns this act of political violence", explains the spokesperson of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "He wishes President Trump a quick recovery." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also shares this, expressing his shock over the news of the attack. "Such violence has no justification and no place in the world. Never should violence prevail." Zelensky also wishes Trump a quick recovery.
Already on Saturday evening (local time), Biden had stated that he was grateful that Trump was safe and doing well. In the US, there is "no place for this kind of violence".
07:21 Open Questions to the Secret ServiceFBI Agent Kevin Rojek states at a press conference that it was "surprising" that the protector fired several shots. In response to questions about security measures, he states that such questions should be answered by the Secret Service. Despite its name, the Secret Service is not a secret service, but rather (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 says. "And they are the ones responsible for securing the crime scene." A representative of the Secret Service is not present at the press conference. "Nobody was available," Rojek says.
07:04 Trump in New Jersey, apparently unharmedA Trump spokesperson posts a video that shows Trump leaving an airport in New Jersey without assistance. His injured ear is not visible in the video. The Republicans have already announced that the nominating convention will take place as planned; the convention takes place from Monday to Thursday in Milwaukee. There, Trump will officially be nominated as the Republican presidential candidate. US President Biden shared 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, states that the suspect fired "multiple shots towards the stage" and was located "on an elevated position outside of the event perimeter." This suggests that a roof near the rally could be meant.
06:39 Shooter is reportedly a 20-year-old from PennsylvaniaThe person who shot at Trump is a 20-year-old man from Pennsylvania, according to a source familiar with the investigation of the "Washington Post." The FBI officially states that they have not yet identified the shooter, but are "close" to doing so. 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 Saturday evening (local time), according to a report by the news agency Bloomberg.
06:01 FBI confirms attempted assassination of Ex-President Trump at rallyThe US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has classified the incident at a campaign rally in the US state of Pennsylvania as an "attempted assassination" against former President Donald Trump. "This is an attempt to assassinate our former President Donald Trump," FBI Agent Kevin Rojek says in Butler, the location of the rally. According to official reports, Trump was injured in the ear by the gunfire, and in addition to the alleged shooter, a spectator was killed and two others were seriously injured.
03:58 Republicans to hold convention despite Trump attackThe US Republicans plan to hold their nomination convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as scheduled this week, according to a joint statement from the party and Trump's campaign team. The Republicans are set to gather in Milwaukee starting on Monday for their nomination convention to officially nominate the 78-year-old Trump as their presidential candidate.
03:54 Shooter fired from "elevated position"During the attack on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, the suspected shooter opened fire from an "elevated position" outside the event venue. One person was killed and two others were severely injured, according to the Secret Service. Initially, it was reported that one person was critically injured.
02:55 Trump: I was hit by a bullet in my earFormer US President Donald Trump claimed in a post on his Truth Social platform that he was hit by a bullet during the attack at a campaign event in Pennsylvania. "I was hit by a bullet in my ear, which pierced the upper part of my right ear," Trump wrote.
00:33 Shots fired at Trump: Secret Service escorts ex-president off stageFormer US President Donald Trump was escorted off the stage during a campaign event in Pennsylvania after shots were fired. In images, Trump is seen with a bloody ear and raised fist.
In light of the attempted assassination on former US President Donald Trump during the United States Presidency Election 2024 campaign rally, President Joe Biden expressed his support, stating, "There's no place for this kind of violence in the United States." Meanwhile, reports suggest that the alleged shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, had registered as a Republican but also donated to a Democratic organization around Biden's inauguration.
