Former President Donald Trump was rushed off the stage Saturday by the Secret Service after a shooting at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One rally attendee was reportedly killed in the attack and another was seriously injured. The suspected shooter was immediately shot and killed by the Secret Service.
Trump was just minutes into his address when witnesses said they heard shots fired. Video from the scene showed him falling to the ground and then being tackled by Secret Service agents. As Trump was carried from the scene, he grimaced and struck a defiant pose, pumping his fist for the crowd. Blood was visible near one of his ears.
“I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear.” Trump said in a statement hours later. “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.”
Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said that, at approximately 6:15 p.m., “a suspected shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside the rally venue. US Secret Service personnel neutralized the shooter, who is now deceased. US Secret Service quickly responded with protective measures and the former president is safe and being evaluated. One spectator was killed, two spectators were critically injured.”
The shooting, which is being investigated as an attempted assassination, according to the Associated Press, was widely condemned by leaders across the political spectrum.
In remarks to reporters Saturday night, President Joe Biden called the incident “sick” and said “there’s no place in America for this kind of violence.” Biden said he “tried to get a hold of Donald” and hoped to speak to him by phone. “We cannot allow for this to be happening,” Biden added. “It cannot be like this. We cannot condone this.”
BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA – JULY 13: Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is rushed offstage during a rally on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement that “violence such as this has no place in our nation” and “we must all condemn this abhorrent act and do our part to ensure that it does not lead to more violence.”
Biden and Harris thanked the United State Secret Service and law enforcement for responding to the scene, as did Trump in his statement. Trump also extended his “condolences to the family of the person at the Rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured. It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country.”
Former President Barack Obama said in a statement that “there is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy.”
“Although we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn’t seriously hurt, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics. Michelle and I are wishing him a quick recovery.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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