Trump shot in right ear at campaign rally, shooter dead | Reuters
Former President Donald Trump was shot in the right ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday evening, causing chaos among attendees.
The Shooting and Secret Service Response
Trump fell to the ground after the first shot rang out. Secret Service agents quickly surrounded him, shielding the former president and whisking him off the stage to safety. With blood streaming from his ear, Trump raised his fist to the crowd as he was taken away.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump thanked the Secret Service and law enforcement for their swift action: “I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I immediately heard a whizzing sound, shots, and felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding occurred, and I realized what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
Investigation and Details of the Shooting
Authorities are investigating the incident as a possible assassination attempt. The shooter, who was killed by Secret Service agents, was positioned on a rooftop outside the rally venue. One rally attendee was killed, and two others were critically injured.
Anthony Guglielmi, chief spokesperson for the Secret Service, stated: “During Former President Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on the evening of July 13 at approximately 6:15 p.m., a suspected shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue. U.S. Secret Service personnel neutralized the shooter, who is now deceased. Former President Trump is safe.”
Reactions and Condemnations
President Joe Biden was briefed on the incident while in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and condemned the political violence: “There’s no place in America for this kind of violence – it’s sick, it’s sick,” Biden said. “We have to unite this country. We cannot allow this to happen. We cannot be like this.”
Rico Elmore, a former Pennsylvania legislative candidate and speaker at the rally, described the chaotic scene and his efforts to help an injured attendee: “All we know is shots were fired and then I jumped over the barrier and put my hand on the head of an attendee who was profusely bleeding.”
Political Reactions
Lawmakers from both parties quickly expressed their horror and condemned the political violence. House Speaker Mike Johnson stated: “This horrific act of political violence at a peaceful campaign rally has no place in this country and should be unanimously and forcefully condemned.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said: “I am horrified by what happened at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania and relieved that former President Trump is safe. Political violence has no place in our country.”
Incident Details
Three law enforcement sources confirmed the shooter was outside the rally venue, with two sources specifying the shooter was on a rooftop. Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger stated the shooter was on a building adjacent to the property, adding: “It would have required a rifle. It was several hundred yards.”
Former Trump campaign adviser David Urban reported speaking with Dave McCormick, the Republican Senate nominee from Pennsylvania, who was in the front row at the rally. Urban said McCormick heard “pops” that sounded like “firecrackers” and saw Secret Service agents quickly respond.
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