Former President Donald Trump was wounded Saturday evening while speaking onstage at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in an incident that’s being investigated as an assassination attempt from a shooter on a roof near the rally site.
Trump was in the middle of delivering his rally speech – turned toward the right with his hands on his lectern – when the sound of multiple gunshots suddenly rang out at approximately 6:15 p.m. ET. He said later on social media he was shot in the ear.
Trump grabbed his right ear and dropped to the ground as Secret Service agents told him to get down and rushed to the stage, protecting the former president while several more gunshots could be heard.
While Trump remained on the ground, there was one last round of shots and loud screams from the crowd. About 45 seconds after the former president was shot, agents were heard on the rally microphone saying, “Shooter’s down.”
“Are we good to move?” one agent asked.
“Are we clear?” asked another.
“We’re clear!” a Secret Service agent said as Trump was lifted to his feet, his face and ear bloodied.
The agents prepared to move Trump offstage into his nearby SUV, but he told them to wait. Trump lifted his fist in the air, prompting a loud cheer from the crowd at the rally, and he mouthed the word “fight” three times while pumping his fist. The crowd then chanted “USA!” as the former president was taken down the stairs by several agents and into his vehicle.
One of the rally attendees was killed in the shooting, and and two rally-goers were critically injured, according to the Secret Service. All of the victims were male, according to the FBI.
The shocking episode that threatened Trump’s life raises grave questions about security and how the former president was shot at, with lawmakers already calling for an investigation into the Secret Service’s handling of Saturday’s rally. The shooting comes right before Trump is set to accept the 2024 presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention this coming week.
President Joe Biden condemned the shooting, saying it was “sick,” in remarks from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on Saturday evening, and the White House said he later spoke to Trump by phone.
Shooter fired multiple times outside the rally venue
A law enforcement source and a police officer at the scene told CNN that the shooter was positioned on a building rooftop just outside the venue where Trump was holding his rally, located to the right of the event stage. There was a heavy law enforcement presence around the building.
The shooting is being investigated as a possible assassination attempt, according to law enforcement officials.
The Secret Service said the shooter fired “multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue.” The shooter was killed by Secret Service agents, the agency said in a statement.
Video posted to social media showed the suspected Trump shooter lying down on the roof of a building, appearing motionless.
The FBI is “close” to identifying the shooter in what they are calling an assassination attempt against Trump, FBI special agent in charge Kevin Rojek said at a press briefing hours after the shooting.
Rojek said investigators are close to confirming the identity of the shooter but are not yet releasing the name at this time. Authorities said they believe there Is no other threat.
Rojek added that they have not yet identified the shooter’s motive.
Trump posted on Truth Social Saturday evening, describing the shooting and thanking the Secret Service and law enforcement for their response.
“I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!” Trump wrote.
Map: The distance between the suspected gunman and where Trump was shot is approximately 400-500 feet.
Cc: CNN
