11:16 Steinmeier wishes Trump swift recovery
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier condemns the assassination attempt and expresses his condolences to the family of the victim: "I condemn the assassination attempt on the 45th US President, Donald J. Trump," Steinmeier writes in a statement. "Violence has no place in our democracy - not in America, not here. We all can contribute: Let us respect violence in political disputes! Let us push back hatred and incitement from campaigns and debates! Democracy tolerates sharp controversies - but violence destroys democracy. Donald J. Trump and the injured person I wish a swift recovery. My deepest condolences go to the family of the victim."
10:32 Expert: "Trump produced that image directly, instinctively"Seconds after the shots were fired, Donald Trump is seen raising his fist towards Secret Service agents. Political scientist Thomas Jaeger sees the "master of political marketing" at work here. It remains to be seen if Trump can continue spinning his "witch hunt" narrative.
10:10 Sharpshooter seemed to have noticed the assassin just before the first shotsA post on X shows a sharpshooter at the Trump rally in exactly the moment the shots were fired. Sharpshooters are deployed at such events by the Secret Service to secure the surroundings - which in this case apparently did not go well. The sharpshooter seems to have been observing something or someone through his telescopic sight. He recoils, just before the shots can be heard, suggesting that he became aware of the shooter as a threat in that moment. The shooter was soon shot himself.
09:23 Participant warned of the assassin before the shootingParticipants at Trump's rally in Butler had noticed a man with a rifle on a roof near the venue before the shooting. One of them, Greg Smith, alerted on-site security: "Hey man, there's a guy with a rifle on the roof", he later told the BBC. The response was: "Ha ha, what?", as if the security personnel did not know what was going on. "I thought: Why is Trump still speaking, why didn't they get him off the stage? ... The next thing I heard were five shots."
09:15 Scholz condemns assassination attemptChancellor Olaf Scholz comments on the assassination attempt against Trump on X: "The assassination attempt on US presidential candidate Donald Trump is abhorrent. I wish him a swift recovery. My thoughts are also with the people affected by the attack. Such acts of violence threaten democracy."
08:28 Photographer took picture of possible projectileDoug Mills, a photographer for the "New York Times", apparently took a picture by chance in the exact moment a bullet narrowly missed Donald Trump. Michael Harrigan, a retired FBI agent, told the newspaper that "the photo could very well show the air displacement caused by 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 photos per second. The photo was taken with a shutter speed of 1/8000 seconds.
08:00 Alleged Shooter Identified as RepublicanThe FBI has identified the suspected shooter. He is a man named Thomas Matthew Crooks. The 20-year-old victim, who was killed during the shooting attempt, is 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 a registered 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 17 years old at the time of the donation. He registered as a Republican Party member in September 2021 when he turned 18.
07:46 Expert: "Secret Service needs to answer some questions"Donald Trump, as the former 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 remains to be worked out how it was possible that a shooter was able to attack, despite these measures.
07:38 World leaders react in shockWorld leaders reacted in shock to the attack on former 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 innocent victim's family. "Political violence has no place in a democracy", she writes. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also expresses similar sentiments. "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 for UN Secretary-General António Guterres. "He wishes President Trump a quick recovery." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shares that he is "appalled" by the news of the attack. "Such violence has no justification and no place in the world. It should never prevail." Zelensky also wishes Trump a quick recovery.
Already on Saturday evening (local time), Biden expressed his gratitude 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 ServiceFBI agent Kevin Rojek speaks at a press conference and finds it "surprising" that the shooter was able to fire multiple shots. In response to a question about security measures, he says that such questions must be answered by the Secret Service. Despite the name, the Secret Service is not a secret service, 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 located", Rojek says. "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", so Rojek.
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 Presidential candidate. US President Biden announced that the Democrats will 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 several shots at the stage" and was on "an elevated position" outside the event venue. This likely means there was a roof near the rally.
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 dead. According to the Pennsylvania police, it is too early to say whether it was a lone gunman. However, there is also 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 Bloomberg.
06:01 FBI confirms attempted assassination of Ex-President Trump at rallyFollowing the shootings 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 bystander was killed and two others were seriously injured.
04:41 Biden phones Trump after the attackUS President Joe Biden personally phoned Trump after the attack, the White House announced, 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 added.
03:58 Republicans to hold Convention despite Trump attackThe US Republicans plan to hold the Nominating Convention in Milwaukee this week despite the attack on their Presidential candidate Donald Trump. The party and Trump's campaign team made the announcement in a joint statement. The Republicans are expected to gather in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, starting Monday to officially nominate the 78-year-old Trump 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 bystander 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 during a campaign appearance. "I was hit by a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear," Trump writes on his Truth Social platform.
00:33 Shots fired at Trump: Security guards escort ex-President off stageThe former US President Donald Trump was escorted off the stage during a campaign appearance in the state of Pennsylvania by security personnel. Before that, shots were fired. In the images, Trump is seen with a bloody ear and raised fist.
- In light of the ongoing investigation into the United States Presidency Election 2024, it's worth noting that former President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to run again, following his recovery from the recent assassination attempt.
- Despite the tensions and incidents, such as the assassination attempt on President Trump at a rally in 2023, current President Joe Biden continues to express his commitment to maintaining a peaceful political climate in the United States, urging against violence in political disputes.
