“From fascism, to Hitler, to dictators,” Meuser continued, “so I can easily point that out, but I’m willing to say at the same time, we all need to take responsibility to calm things down. To say what we want to say, but not to say it meanly. Not to take it personally. To have dialogue, instead of attacking.”
of NBC Dasha Burnswho reported live from the protest in Pennsylvania, to shared that in the moments after the shooting, after she reunited with her crew, “some of the crowd started coming up the steps, they started getting angry with the press.”
“The crowd gathered near the media,” she continued, “and started blaming the press for what had just happened—some people were yelling at the journalists and getting quite aggressive.
Early Sunday morning, Trump release a statement on his social media platform Truth Social, thanking everyone for their thoughts and prayers, writing, “Only God can prevent the unthinkable from happening. We will NOT be AFRAID, but instead, stand strong in Faith and Defy Evil. Our love goes out to the other victims and their families. We pray for the recovery of the injured and hold in our hearts the memory of the people who were killed in such a horrific way.”
The attendee killed at the protest was Corey Comperatore, 50, according to his sister. Dawn Comperatore Schaferand Governor of Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro“Hatred of a man took the life of the man we all loved the most,” she said in a brief interview, according to Report from time“We saw him die on the news,” she said. “That’s how we found out. We saw my brother die on the news.”
Just over six minutes into his speech, witnesses heard multiple gunshots, as Trump put his hands to his ears and ducked behind the podium—where he was quickly surrounded by Secret Service agents. He appeared to have blood on the right side of his face. Before leaving the stage, Trump raised his fist toward the crowd—some of whom raised their fists in return—and appeared to yell the word “Fight.”
On Truth Social, Trump wrote that a bullet had “passed through the upper part of my right ear”, saying, “I knew right away that something was wrong when I heard the whistling, gunshot sound”.
The suspected shooter, Crooks, from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was a registered Republican, his mother was a Democrat and his father was a Libertarian, according to voter registration records and Dan GrzybekCrooks used ActBlue to donate $15 to a liberal group called the Progressive Voting Project in January 2021, according to campaign finance records.
Time reported that the AR-style semi-automatic rifle found next to Crooks’ body was “purchased by a family member, possibly his father, according to an official briefed on the investigation.”
It appears Crooks only graduated high school two years ago, but according to NBC’s investigative reporter, Crooks reportedly has an extremely low online social media presence. Tom WinterPeople also note that other online forums, like chat rooms, are still being screened.
New information about the shooting continues to emerge as local and federal lawmakers, as well as newsrooms across the country, continue to investigate the shooting.
“Former FBI officials said the bureau’s behavioral analysis unit will try to build a profile of the gunman to understand his motives and why he decided to carry out the failed assassination. The FBI, which is running the investigation, will cast a wide net, interviewing friends and family members and scouring the internet for clues he may have left online or in journals,” time‘ write.
“This remains an active and ongoing investigation,” the FBI said in a statement Sunday morning.
In a statement shortly after the shooting, Biden called the violence “sickening.” The two leading presidential candidates later had what was described as a “brief and respectful” phone call. based on The White House.
Biden campaign announced that it would pause “outside communications,” seeking to pull television ads, a campaign official said. The Democratic National Committee also paused both television and billboard advertising against Trump.
The Republican National Convention is set to begin Monday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin And, according to Trump and his campaign, he will still attend. “I truly love our country, and love all of you, and look forward to speaking to our great Nation this week from Wisconsin,” Trump Written on Truth Social.
Previous efforts to ban weapons at conference venues, which have banned items such as tennis balls and gas masks, have failed. failure due to concerns about violating state law or offending Trump’s base. According to Axios noted Last month, “Firearms will be allowed within walking distance of the Republican National Convention,” but not inside the event’s secure perimeter.
When request Could there be changes to gun regulations in certain areas near the conference venue, Chief of Staff? Jeffrey Norman “We’ll see if there’s an opportunity to address that particular challenge,” said Milwaukee police chief David O’Brien in an interview with WISN-TV.
In a joint statement release by the Trump campaign and RNC on Saturday night after the shooting, the groups said Trump “looks forward to joining all of you in Milwaukee as we move forward with the convention to nominate him as the 47th President of the United States.”
