Attempted murder: Trump shot at during US campaign event
An incident occurred when Trump was starting his campaign speech in the small town of Butler. Agents from the Secret Service pulled the ex-President to the ground after the shots were fired. Protesters screamed and threw themselves to the ground.
After a while, Trump was surrounded by security personnel. There was blood visible around his right ear. According to the police, a bystander was killed and two other male bystanders were seriously injured due to the shots.
As Trump was being escorted from the stage to his car, he raised his fist repeatedly in response to the cheers from his supporters. The Secret Service, responsible for the protection of current and former U.S. presidents, later reported that Trump was safe.
Trump's campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung stated that Trump was doing well. The 78-year-old former president was reportedly examined at a local medical facility. Furthermore, it was stated that Trump thanked "the law enforcement and first responders for their quick actions during this heinous act."
On his Truth Social platform, Trump described being hit by a bullet in the "upper part of my right ear." "It's incredible that something like this could happen in our country," he wrote. Later, Trump was seen getting out of his plane without assistance, as shown in a video released by his press team. His injured ear was not visible.
A visitor to the campaign event told the news agency AFP that they heard "shots, it sounded like something between fireworks and a small-caliber pistol."
The shooter had fired several shots "from an elevated position" outside the gathering place, according to the Secret Service. The shooter was then "neutralized."
FBI Agent Kevin Rojek stated at a press conference in Butler that the shots were classified as an "attempted assassination" against Trump. U.S. media reported that the shooter was identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.
According to the Butler police, there had been "suspicious activities" reported to them before the shots were fired.
U.S. President Biden called the act "despicable." "There's no place for this kind of violence in our country," he said. Earlier, the president had already stated that the U.S. needed to "come together as a nation to condemn this." According to the White House, Biden spoke on the phone with Trump and returned to Washington from his home state of Delaware earlier than planned.
Former Democratic U.S. President Barack Obama stated on X that "there's absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy." Everyone should be "relieved" that the former president Trump was not seriously injured, and "use this moment to rededicate ourselves to decency and respect in our politics."
Former Republican U.S. President George W. Bush stated that he was "grateful" that Trump was safe after the "cowardly attack on his life." Democratic Majority Leader in the U.S. Senate, Chuck Schumer, expressed "disgust" over the attack and was "relieved" that the former president was safe. "Political violence has no place in our country," Schumer added.
US billionaire Elon Musk, who owns the X platform, publicly expressed his support for Trump's re-election campaign after the attack.
Government leaders all over the world were shocked by the shooting attack. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his shock. Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban wrote on X, his "thoughts and prayers" were with Trump.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau, and the prime ministers of Japan and India, Fumio Kishida and Narendra Modi, issued a forceful condemnation of political violence. Germany's ambassador to Washington, Andreas Michaelis, joined the appeal for Germany.
The gathering in Butler was Trump's last campaign rally before the Republican Party convention, which begins on Monday and where Trump is set to be officially nominated as the party's presidential candidate. Trump, according to his campaign team, intends to participate despite his injury.
The shots could further heat up the existing tensions in the divided country before the presidential election on November 3. US Senator J.D. Vance, who was rumored to be Trump's vice presidential candidate, pointed to Trump's rivals Biden with a finger. "The central premise of Biden's campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs," Vance wrote on X and added: "This rhetoric directly led to the attempted assassination of President Trump."
- The police are investigating the incident at the election campaign event, where shots were fired, resulting in an attempted murder and injuries.
- Senator Chuck Schumer expressed his relief that former President Trump was safe after the attempted murder at the campaign event in Butler.
- The FBI is treating the shooting incident at the US campaign event as an attempt to assassinate Donald Trump.
- Security officials quickly responded to the shots fired at the US-President during his speech, ensuring his safety and evacuating him from the event.
- Joe Biden strongly condemned the act of political violence against Donald Trump at the election campaign event in Pennsylvania.
- The Secret Service is working closely with the local police in Butler to gather evidence and identify the perpetrator of the attempted murder at the US campaign event.
- Donald Trump, despite being injured in the attempted murder, continues to support his re-election campaign and intends to participate in the Republican Party convention.
- The world leaders, including Prime Minister Netanyahu and EU Commission President von der Leyen, expressed their condemnation against political violence in response to the shooting incident at the US campaign event.
