At 09:23, a participant warned of the attacker before the attack
Before the shooting at Trump's rally in Butler, participants noticed a man with a rifle on a roof nearby. One of them, Greg Smith, told 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 forces didn't know what was going on. "I thought: Why is Trump still speaking, why didn't they take him off the stage? ... Next, five shots were fired."
09:15 Scholz condemns the attack German Chancellor Olaf Scholz comments on the attempted attack against Trump: "The attack on US Presidential candidate Donald Trump is abhorrent. I wish him a quick recovery. My thoughts are also with the people affected by the attack. Such acts of violence threaten democracy."
08:28 Photographer takes picture of possible projectile New York Times photographer Doug Mills apparently took a picture at the exact moment a bullet narrowly missed Trump. Michael Harrigan, a retired FBI agent, told the newspaper the photo "could very well show the displacement caused by a bullet." In general, it's possible to photograph a flying bullet, Harrigan said. Mills used a Sony digital camera at the Trump rally, which can take up to 30 pictures per second. The photo was taken with a shutter speed of 1/8000th of a second.
08:00 Alleged shooter registered as a Republican The FBI 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. He registered as a Republican member in September 2021, when he turned 18.
07:46 Expert: "Secret Service needs to answer some questions" 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 remains to be seen how it was possible for a shooter to approach, this must now be clarified.
07:38 World leaders react in shock Leaders and governments around the world reacted in shock to the attack on 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 reacts similarly. "My thoughts are with former President Trump, the rally participants, and all Americans."
United Nations also condemn Trump attack. "The Secretary-general strongly condemns this act of political violence," says UN-Secretary-General António Guterres' spokesperson. "He wishes President Trump a swift 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. Never should violence prevail." Zelensky also wishes Trump a swift 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's no place for this kind of violence," he added.
07:21 Open Questions to the Secret ServiceFBI agent Kevin Rojek speaks at a press conference, finding it "surprising" that the shield managed to fire several shots. In response to a question 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 (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 sites should be located," 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. Rojek states that "nobody was available."
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 nomination 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 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 Secret Service spokesperson, says the suspected shooter fired "multiple shots at the stage" and was located "on an elevated position outside the event venue." 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 Trump is a 20-year-old man from Pennsylvania, according to a source familiar with the investigation of the "Washington Post." Officially, the FBI states that they have not yet identified the shooter, but are "close" to doing so. The shooter is dead. According to Pennsylvania police, it is too early to say whether it was a lone gunman. There is also 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 Bloomberg report.
06:01 FBI confirms attempted assassination against Ex-President Trump at rally Following the shootings at a campaign event in the US state of Pennsylvania, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has classified the incident as an "attempted assassination" against former President Donald Trump. "This was an attempted assassination against our former president Donald Trump," FBI Agent Kevin Rojek in Butler, the location of the rally, stated. Trump was injured in the ear by the gunshots, according to law enforcement reports, and one bystander was killed and two others seriously injured.
04:41 Biden phones Trump after attack US President Joe Biden personally contacted Trump after the attack on his predecessor, the White House announced without disclosing the contents of the conversation. On Sunday, Biden will be briefed on the status of the investigations by law enforcement agencies, it was further stated.
03:58 Republicans to hold convention despite Trump attack The US Republicans plan to hold their nominating convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as scheduled this week, despite the attack on their presidential candidate Donald Trump. The party and Trump's campaign team made this joint statement. The Republicans will gather in Milwaukee starting on Monday to officially nominate the 78-year-old as their presidential candidate.
03:54 Shooter fired from elevated position In the attack on the 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 had been reports of a seriously injured person.
02:55 Trump: I was hit by a bullet in the ear Former US President Donald Trump, in his own words, was injured in the ear by a bullet during the attack at a campaign event in Pennsylvania. "I was hit by a bullet that went through the upper part of my right ear," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
00:33 Shots fired at Trump: Secret Service escorts Ex-President from stage Former US President Donald Trump was escorted from the stage by security personnel during a campaign event in Pennsylvania after gunshots were fired. In the images, Trump is seen with a bloody ear and raised fist.
- Regarding the United States Presidency Election 2024, both former President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden are expected to be major contenders, given their significant political influence and recent events, such as the shooting at Trump's rally in Butler.
- In the realm of Politics, the aftermath of the attempted assassination on Donald Trump at his rally in Pennsylvania has sparked discussions about the role of security forces and the Secret Service, particularly their response and measures taken to ensure candidate safety in future elections.
