At 17:15, the shooter had explosives in his car
The alleged attacker, according to the "Wall Street Journal," also had explosives in his car. The car was reportedly secured near the crime scene, according to the newspaper, citing unidentified sources. The weapon used in the crime was purchased by the alleged attacker's father, according to the newspaper and ABC News. It is said to be an AR-15 rifle. The AR-15 was developed in the 1950s, initially for the military. The AR-15 is the civilian version of this weapon. Unlike the military version, this weapon cannot technically fire continuously. Skilled shooters can, however, fire many shots in a very short time.
16:59 Now Melania Trump speaks out
Following the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump, Melania Trump has also spoken out. The slain security guard was a "Monster" who had attempted to "extinguish Donald's passion, his laughter, his ingenuity, his love of music, and his enthusiasm," explained the former First Lady of the USA at X. When she saw that a bullet had grazed her husband, she realized that her life and that of her son Barron were "on the brink of a devastating change." Melania Trump also thanks the Secret Service for their protection.
16:26 "They're not behind me, they're behind you" - Trump campaign launches fundraising appeal
According to Brad Bannon, a democratic strategist, this incident could be used by Trump. It fits the narrative of the former US President that the country is on the wrong track. "The attempted assassination generates sympathy for Trump," Bannon says. "It also confirms the perception of his voters that something fundamental is wrong in this country." Trump's appearances at the four-day Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, which begins on Monday, could be fueled by the attack. "If the country wasn't a powder keg before, it is now," says Chip Felkel, a Republican political analyst who is not a Trump supporter. Hours after the incident, Trump's campaign launched a fundraising appeal via text message. "They're not behind me, they're behind you," the message reads to voters.
16:08 Concerns before the convention: Republicans working with 40 law enforcement agencies
Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley assures that efforts are being made to ensure security at the upcoming convention in Milwaukee. We are working with 40 different law enforcement agencies, Whatley told Fox News, but declined to specify the precautions being taken.
15:44 Top advisors to Trump campaign: "If something seems strange, please report it immediately"
Top advisors to Donald Trump's campaign team are urging caution. "We are reinforcing our armed security presence 24/7 with officers on site. Additional security checks are being conducted. Our top priority is to ensure the safety of all staff," the "Washington Post" quotes Trump campaign advisors Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles from a joint memo. "We also urge you to recognize the political polarization in this heated election. If something seems strange, please report it immediately to the leadership or the security team on site," it continues.
15:24 Witnesses describe chaotic scenes at Trump rally shootingDuring Trump's campaign speech in Pennsylvania, shots were fired, causing chaos and panic. Witnesses speak of speculations about fireworks, the sound of gunshots, gunfire on the roof, and the moment Trump fell to the ground.
14:58 Leading Republican: "We need to tone down the rhetoric"The President of the US House of Representatives, Republican Mike Johnson, is trying to calm things down. "We need to tone down the rhetoric," he says on MSNBC. "We need to lower the temperature in this country."
14:30 Expert: "Trump shooting is an opportunity for Biden"
14:03 Trump calls for reconciliation"It's more important than ever that we come together," writes Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform. He is already looking forward to speaking in Wisconsin "to our great country" this week. In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Republican National Convention takes place from Monday to Thursday. Trump writes further, "I pray for the wounded, and we hold the memory of the fallen citizen in our hearts." Trump had already called for unity in his inaugural address as US President in January 2017.
12:58 NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg shocked by assassination attemptNATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is shocked by the assassination attempt on Trump. "I am shocked by the attempted assassination of former President Trump," he writes on X. He wishes Trump a speedy recovery and is thinking of the victims. Political violence has no place in democracies. The NATO allies are standing together to defend freedom and values.
12:13 Video shows seconds between shooter's shots and Secret Service shotsThe American gossip news site TMZ shows a video in which it appears that both the shooter's shots and the shots that likely saved Trump's life can be heard. The attack caused panic among the onlookers. The recording was made from outside the area where the rally was taking place, as TMZ reports.
11:40 Secret Service denies Republican accusationThe Secret Service has denied the Republican accusation that they had refused additional security resources for Trump in the last months. "The claim that a member of the former President's security team requested additional security resources that were denied by the Secret Service or the Department of Homeland Security is absolutely false," said Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi. In fact, the Secret Service had recently increased security measures.
Few hours after the shooting of Trump, Republican Congressman Michael Waltz had said that he had "reliable sources" who told him that there had been repeated requests for stronger secret service protection for Trump. Waltz did not provide any evidence.
11:16 Steinmeier wishes Trump swift recoveryFederal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier condemns the attack and expresses his condolences to the victim's family: "I condemn the attack 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 campaigning and debates! Democracy tolerates sharp controversies - but violence destroys democracy. Donald J. Trump and the injured deserve swift recovery. My deepest condolences go to the victim's family."
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, covered in blood. Political scientist Thomas Jäger 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 video posted 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 area - which apparently did not go well in this case. The sharpshooter seems to be 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 in that moment. Shortly thereafter, the shooter was shot.
09:23 Participant warned of the assassin before the shootingParticipants at the Trump 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, what?", as if the security personnel didn't 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 gunshots."
09:15 Scholz condemns the attack as abhorrentChancellor Olaf Scholz comments on the attempt on Trump's life on X: "The attack on US presidential candidate Donald Trump is abhorrent. I wish him a swift recovery. My thoughts are also with those affected by the attack. Such acts threaten democracy."
08:28 Photographer took picture of what might be a projectileDoug Mills, a photographer for the "New York Times", apparently took a picture at 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 added. 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 1/8000 seconds.
08:00 Alleged Shooter Identified as RepublicanThe FBI has identified the suspect. It is a man named Thomas Matthew Crooks. The 20-year-old victim of 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 Party 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. At all campaign events, there are highest security measures, 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, given these security 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 condemns this act of political violence in the strongest terms", 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. Never should violence prevail." Zelensky also wishes Trump a quick recovery.
Already on Saturday evening (local time), Biden stated that he was grateful that Trump was safe and doing well. In the USA, "there is no place for this type of violence".
07:21 Open questions to the Secret ServiceFBI Agent Kevin Rojek says at a press conference that it is "surprising" that the shooter was able to fire several 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 is 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 will take place from Monday to Thursday in Milwaukee. There, Trump will be officially 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 spokesperson for the Secret Service, stated that the shooter had "fired several shots towards 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 doing so. The shooter is deceased. According to the 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 Saturday evening (local time) according to a report by the news agency 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 wounded in the ear, and besides the alleged shooter, a bystander was killed and two others were seriously injured.
04:41 Biden phones Trump after attackUS President Joe Biden personally phoned 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, it was further stated.
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 will 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 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 at a campaign event. "I was hit by a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear," Trump wrote on his co-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.
- In the context of the 2024 United States Presidential Election, some political analysts believe that the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump could be used by him to gain sympathy and strengthen his narrative that the country is facing fundamental issues.
- The 2024 United States Presidential Election race may see heightened security measures, following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump and calls from Republican leaders for more vigilance in light of political polarization and potential threats.
