UPDATED: JULY 13, 11:17 p.m. ... Former President was the target of an assassination attempt Saturday at a Pennsylvania rally, days before he was to accept the Republican nomination for a third time. A barrage of gunfire set off panic, and a bloodied Trump, who said he was shot in the ear, was surrounded by Secret Service and hurried to his SUV as he pumped his fist in a show of defiance.
Trump鈥檚 campaign said the presumptive GOP nominee was doing 鈥渇ine鈥� after the shooting, which he said pierced the upper part of his right ear.
鈥淚 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,鈥� he wrote on his social media site.
The FBI early Sunday identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The agency said the investigation remains active and ongoing.
One attendee was killed and two spectators were critically injured, authorities said. All were identified as men. The Secret Service said it killed the suspected shooter 鈥� who it said attacked from an elevated position outside the rally venue, a farm show in Butler, Pennsylvania 鈥� and said Trump was safe.
The FBI said during a press conference late Saturday that they were not prepared to release the identity of the shooter and had not yet identified a motive for the assassination attempt.
The attack was the most serious attempt to assassinate a president or presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981. It drew new attention to concerns about political violence in a deeply polarized U.S. less than four months before the presidential election. And it could alter the tenor and security posture at the Republican National Convention, which will begin Monday in Milwaukee.
Organizers said the convention would proceed as planned.
Trump flew to New Jersey after visiting a local Pennsylvania hospital, landing shortly after midnight at Newark Liberty International Airport. Video posted by an aide showed the former president deplaning his private jet flanked by U.S. Secret Service agents and heavily armed members of the agency鈥檚 counter assault team 鈥� an unusually visible show of force by his protective detail.
President Joe Biden, who is running against Trump, was briefed on the incident and spoke to Trump several hours after the shooting, the White House said.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no place in America for this type of violence,鈥� the president said in public remarks. 鈥淚t鈥檚 sick. It鈥檚 sick.鈥�
Biden planned to return to Washington early, cutting short a weekend at his beach home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Many Republicans quickly blamed the violence on Biden and his allies, arguing that sustained attacks on Trump as a threat to democracy have created a toxic environment. They pointed in particular to a comment Biden made to donors on July 8, saying 鈥渋t鈥檚 time to put Trump in the bullseye.鈥�
In the coming days, much of the focus will shift to the shooter and security lapses. The shooter was not an attendee at the rally and was killed by U.S. Secret Service agents, according to two officials who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.
The officials said the shooter was engaged by members of the U.S. Secret Service counterassault team. The heavily armed tactical team travels everywhere with the president and major party nominees and is meant to confront any active threats while other agents focus on safeguarding and evacuating the person at the center of protection.
Law enforcement recovered an AR-style rifle at the scene, according to a third person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.
An AP analysis of more than a dozen videos and photos from the scene of the Trump rally, as well as satellite imagery of the site, shows the shooter was able to get astonishingly close to the stage where the former president was speaking. A video posted to social media and geolocated by the AP shows the body of a person wearing gray camouflage lying motionless on the roof of a building at AGR International Inc., a manufacturing plant just north of the Butler Farm Show grounds where Trump鈥檚 rally was held.
The roof where the person lay was less than 150 meters (164 yards) from where Trump was speaking, a distance from which a decent marksman could reasonably hit a human-sized target. For reference, 150 meters is a distance at which U.S. Army recruits must hit a scaled human-sized silhouette to qualify with the M-16 rifle. The AR-15, like the shooter at the Trump rally had, is the semi-automatic civilian version of the military M-16.
Asked at the press conference whether law enforcement did not know the shooter was on the roof until he began firing, Kevin Rojek, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI鈥檚 Pittsburgh Field Office, responded that 鈥渢hat is our assessment at this time鈥�
鈥淚t is surprising鈥� that the gunman was able to open fire on the stage before the Secret Service killed him, he added.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, whose department oversees the Secret Service, said officials were engaged with the Biden and Trump campaigns and 鈥渢aking every possible measure to ensure their safety and security.鈥�
A rally disrupted by gunfire
Trump was showing off a chart of border crossing numbers when the gunfire began after 6:10 p.m. ET.
As the first pop rang out, Trump said, 鈥淥h,鈥� and the raised his hand to his right ear and looked at it, before quickly crouching to the ground behind his lectern. The people in the stands behind him also crouched down as screams rang through the crowd.
Someone could be heard near the microphone saying, 鈥淕et down, get down, get down, get down!鈥� as agents rushed to the stage. They piled atop the former president to shield him with their bodies, as is their training protocol, as other agents took up positions on stage to search for the threat.
Screams were heard in the crowd of several thousand people. A woman screamed louder than the rest. Afterward, voices were heard saying 鈥渟hooter鈥檚 down鈥� several times, before someone asked 鈥渁re we good to move?鈥� and 鈥渁re we clear?鈥� Then, someone ordered, 鈥淟et鈥檚 move.鈥�
Trump could be heard on the video saying at least twice, 鈥淟et me get my shoes, let me get my shoes,鈥� with another voice heard saying, 鈥淚鈥檝e got you sir.鈥�
Trump got to his feet moments later and could be seen reaching with his right hand toward his face, which was smeared with blood on his face. He then pumped his fist in the air and appeared to mouth the word 鈥淔ight鈥� twice his crowd of supporters, prompting loud cheers and then chants of 鈥淯SA. USA. USA.鈥�
The crowd cheered as he got back up and pumped his fist.
His motorcade left the venue moments later. Video showed Trump turning back to the crowd and raising a fist right before he was put into a vehicle.
Witnesses heard multiple gunshots and ducked for cover
鈥淓verybody went to their knees or their prone position, because we all knew, everyone becoming aware of the fact this was gunfire,鈥� said Dave McCormick, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, who was sitting to Trump鈥檚 right on stage.
As he saw Trump raise his fist, McCormick said, he looked over his shoulder and noticed someone had been hit while sitting in the bleachers behind the stage.
Eventually, first responders were able to carry the injured person out of a large crowd so he could get medical care, McCormick said.
Reporters covering the rally heard five or six shots ring out and many ducked for cover, hiding under tables. After the first two or three bangs, people in the crowd looked startled, but not panicked. An AP reporter at the scene reported the noise sounded like firecrackers at first or perhaps a car backfiring.
When it was clear the situation had been contained and that Trump would not be returning to speak, attendees started filing out of the venue. One man in an electric wheelchair got stuck on the field when his chair鈥檚 battery died. Others tried to help him move.
Police soon told the people remaining to leave the venue and Secret Service agents told reporters to get 鈥渙ut now. This is a live crime scene.鈥�
Two firefighters from nearby Steubenville, Ohio, who were at the rally told the AP that they helped people who appeared injured and heard bullets hitting broadcast speakers.
鈥淭he bullets rattled around the grandstand, one hit the speaker tower and then chaos broke. We hit the ground and then the police converged into the grandstands, said Chris Takach.
鈥淭he first thing I heard is a couple of cracks,鈥� Dave Sullivan said.
Sullivan said he saw one of the speakers get hit and bullets rattling and, 鈥渨e hit the deck.鈥�
He said once Secret Service and other authorities converged on Trump, he and Takach assisted two people who may have been shot in the grandstand and cleared a path to get them out of the way.
鈥淛ust a sad day for America,鈥� Sullivan said.
鈥淎fter we heard the shots got fired, then the hydraulic line was spraying all around, you could see the hydraulic fluid coming out of it. And then the speaker tower started to fall down,鈥� Sullivan said. 鈥淭hen we heard another shot that, you could hear, you knew something was, it was bullets. It wasn鈥檛 firecrackers.鈥�
Political violence again shakes America
The perils of campaigning took on a new urgency after the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in California in 1968, and again in 1972 when Arthur Bremer shot and seriously hurt George Wallace, who was running as an independent on a campaign platform that has sometimes been compared to Trump鈥檚. That led to increased protection of candidates, even as the threats persisted, notably against Jesse Jackson in 1988 and Barack Obama in 2008.
Presidents, particularly after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, have even greater layers of security. Trump is a rarity as both a former president and a current candidate.
Republican and Democratic leaders, past and present, expressed shock Saturday night following the news that gunfire had broken out during a in Pennsylvania 鈥� and relief that the former president had survived the attack.
Notable officials, including former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, praised the fast action of the Secret Service and expressed gratitude that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee appeared to be OK.
鈥淎s one whose family has been the victim of political violence, I know firsthand that political violence of any kind has no place in our society. I thank God that former President Trump is safe,鈥� former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement. 鈥淎s we learn more details about this horrifying incident, let us pray that all those in attendance at the former President鈥檚 rally today are unharmed.鈥�
Pelosi鈥檚 husband was bludgeoned with a hammer in 2022 by a man who broke into their home.
Trump鈥檚 eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., said he had spoken to his father on the phone and 鈥渉e is in great spirits.鈥� 鈥淗e will never stop fighting to save America, no matter what the radical left throws at him,鈥� Trump Jr. said in a statement.
Obama, Trump鈥檚 immediate predecessor in the White House, shared the views of others who have held the presidency, writing on social media: 鈥淭here is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy. Although we don鈥檛 yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn鈥檛 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.鈥�
Bush praised the Secret Service for their 鈥渟peedy response鈥� to the violence. 鈥淟aura and I are grateful that President Trump is safe following the cowardly attack on his life,鈥� Bush wrote on X.
Statement by President George W. Bush: "Laura and I are grateful that President Trump is safe following the cowardly attack on his life. And we commend the men and women of the Secret Service for their speedy response."
— George W. Bush Presidential Center (@TheBushCenter)
Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, blasted the violence in his home state.
鈥淚 am appalled and condemn in the strongest terms this violence in Butler,鈥� he wrote on X. 鈥淚 extend my condolences to those injured and wish a speedy and full recovery for Mr. Trump.鈥�
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Ohio Sen. JD Vance, the three men on Trump鈥檚 shortlist for vice president, all quickly sent out statements expressing concern for the former president, with Rubio sharing an image taken as Trump was escorted off stage with his fist in the air and a streak of blood on his face along with the words 鈥淕od protected President Trump.鈥�
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said in a statement on X that he had been briefed on the situation and Pennsylvania state police were on hand at the rally site.
鈥淰iolence targeted at any political party or political leader is absolutely unacceptable. It has no place in Pennsylvania or the United States,鈥� he said.
At least one Republican House member, Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia, laid the blame on Biden, saying, 鈥淭he Republican District Attorney in Butler County, PA, should immediately file charges against Joseph R. Biden for inciting an assassination.鈥�
John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, said violence of any sort 鈥渉as no place in our political process.鈥� He added that 鈥渢his horrific act is another reminder that no one is immune from experiencing gun violence. When guns are everywhere, for anyone, with no questions asked 鈥� no one is safe. "
鈥淧raying for President Trump,鈥� House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement his 鈥渢houghts and prayers are with former President Trump.鈥�
鈥淚 am thankful for the decisive law enforcement response. America is a democracy. Political violence of any kind is never acceptable,鈥� Jeffries said.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer echoed that sentiment, saying 鈥減olitical violence has no place in our country.鈥�
鈥淚 am horrified by what happened at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania and relieved that former President Trump is safe,鈥� he said in a statement.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said 鈥渢onight, all Americans are grateful that President Trump appears to be fine after a despicable attack on a peaceful rally. Violence has no place in our politics. We appreciate the swift work of the Secret Service and other law enforcement.鈥�
This is a developing story and may be updated.
