Donald Trump ‘Safe’ After Shooting at Pennsylvania Rally, Suspect and Attendee Dead
Former President Donald Trump was escorted off stage by Secret Service agents on Saturday after a shooting at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One rallygoer was reportedly killed in the attack and another was critically injured. The suspected gunman was shot and killed instantly by Secret Service agents.
Trump had only been speaking for a few minutes when witnesses said they heard gunshots. Video from the scene showed him falling to the ground and then being restrained by Secret Service agents. As Trump was carried away from the scene, he grimaced and struck a defiant pose, raising his fists toward the crowd. Blood was visible near one of his ears.
“I was shot with a bullet through the upper part of my right ear,” Trump said in statement hours later. “I knew right away that something was wrong when I heard the whistling, the gunshot, and immediately felt the bullet go through my skin. There was a lot of blood, so I realized what was happening.”
Secret Service Spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi “At approximately 6:15 p.m., a suspected shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside the rally site,” the statement said. “U.S. Secret Service agents neutralized the shooter, who is now deceased. The Secret Service responded quickly with protective measures and the former president is safe and being evaluated. One audience member is dead, two are seriously injured.”
The shooting is being investigated as a attempted assassination, according to the Associated Press, is widely condemned by leaders across the political spectrum.
In remarks to reporters Saturday evening, President Joe Biden call Biden called the incident “sickening” and said there was “no place for this kind of violence in America”. Biden said he had “tried to reach out to Donald” and hoped to speak to him by phone. “We can’t let this happen,” Biden added. “It can’t be like this. We can’t tolerate this.”
Vice president Kamala Harris said in a statement that “violence like this has no place in our nation” and “we must all condemn this heinous act and do our part to ensure that it does not lead to further violence”.
Biden and Harris thanked the Secret Service and law enforcement who responded to the scene, as did Trump in his statement. Trump also offered his “condolences to the family of the person who was killed at the Protest, and also condolences to the family of the other person who was seriously injured. It is unbelievable that such an act could happen in our Country.”
Former President Barack Obama speak in a statement that “there is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy.”
“While we still don’t know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump was not seriously injured, and let us use this moment to recommit to civility and respect in politics. Michelle and I wish him a speedy recovery.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
