BUTLER, Pa. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, just days before he is expected to receive the Republican nomination for a third time. Gunfire broke out, causing panic. Trump, who was shot in the ear, was quickly surrounded by Secret Service agents and rushed into his SUV, raising his fist in defiance.
Trump Biography
| Name | Trump |
| Age | 78 years |
| Networth | 5.3 billion USD |
| Birthday | June 14, 1946 |
| Country | American |
Trump’s campaign reported that he is “doing fine” despite the incident, which left a bullet wound on the top of his right ear.
“I knew something was wrong right away. I heard a whizzing sound and gunshots, then felt a bullet graze my skin,” Trump shared on his social media platform, Truth Social. “There was a lot of bleeding.”
The FBI recognized the shooter as Thomas Matthew Criminals, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The investigation is ongoing.
Authorities confirmed that one man was killed and two others were seriously injured at the rally. The Secret Service stated they killed the gunman, who had fired from a high position outside the event at an agricultural show in Butler, Pennsylvania, ensuring Trump’s safety.
The FBI has not yet revealed the identity or motive of the attacker who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania. This incident is the most serious attempt on a president or presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981.
Despite the attack, the Trump campaign announced that the Republican National Convention would proceed as planned. Trump, after visiting a local hospital, flew to New Jersey, landing at Newark Liberty International Airport. He was seen stepping off his plane surrounded by heavy security.
President Joe Biden censured the viciousness, saying, “There is no spot in America for this sort of brutality. It’s sick.”
The focus will now be on the shooter and security failures. The shooter, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by Secret Service agents. Authorities recovered an AR-style rifle from the scene.
An analysis of videos and photos from the rally shows the shooter got surprisingly close to the stage. The shooter was positioned on a roof less than 150 meters from Trump, a distance from which a marksman could hit a target.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said officials are working with both the Biden and Trump campaigns to ensure their safety.
Gunshots Disrupt Campaign Event
Trump was presenting a chart on border crossings when gunshots were fired at 6:10 p.m. He touched his ear, saw blood, and quickly ducked behind his lectern as the crowd screamed.
A voice near the microphone yelled, “Get down!” as officials protected Trump and checked for the shooter. Screams filled the air, and people shouted, “Attacker down.”
Trump asked for his shoes, stood up with blood on his face, and raised his fist, saying “fight” twice. The crowd cheered and chanted “USA. The USA. USA.”
His motorcade left shortly after, with Trump raising his fist to the crowd before getting into a vehicle.
Witnesses Duck for Cover Amid Gunfire
People immediately dropped to their knees or lay face down when the shots rang out,” said Dave McCormick, a Republican Senate candidate from Pennsylvania who was seated near Trump on stage.
McCormick noticed Trump raising his fist and saw someone in the bleachers behind them get hit.
Emergency responders managed to reach the injured person amid the chaos.
Journalists at the event heard five or six shots and took cover under tables.
Initially mistaken for firecrackers or a car noise, the shots quickly caused panic. The crowd was told to “get down!”
Once it was clear Trump wouldn’t be returning, people began to leave. An electric wheelchair user was stuck on the field when their chair’s battery died.
Police instructed everyone to leave, and Secret Service agents declared the area a crime scene.
Firefighters from Steubenville, Ohio, assisted injured attendees. Chris Takach described hearing bullets hitting and chaos erupting around the stands.
Dave Sullivan saw speakers hit and bullets flying, prompting people to drop to the ground. He and Takach helped two potentially injured individuals.
“It’s a sad day for America,” Sullivan said.
“After the shots, water-driven fluid sprinkled any place from a broken line, and a speaker tower fell,” Sullivan added. “It wasn’t firecrackers.
Political Violence Rocks the USA Again
The risks of crusading took on new earnestness after the death of Robert F. Kennedy in California in 1968, and again in 1972 when Arthur Bremer shot and genuinely injured George Wallace, who was running as a free on a mission stage that has here and there been contrasted with Trump’s. That prompted expanded security of competitors, even as dangers continued, prominently against Jesse Jackson in 1988 and Barack Obama in 2008.
Presidents, especially after the death of John F. Kennedy in 1963, have much more significant levels of safety. Trump is a unique case as both a previous president and an ongoing competitor.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance — the three men on Trump’s short rundown for VP — immediately conveyed explanations communicating worry for the previous president, with Rubio sharing a picture taken as Trump was beginning the stage, his clench hand raised and a stream of blood running down his face, alongside the words “God safeguarded President Trump.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a leftist, said in an assertion on X that he had been advised of the circumstance and that Pennsylvania State Police were available at the occasion.
“Mercilessness formed against any philosophical social affair or political pioneer is inadmissible. It is not welcome in Pennsylvania or the US,” he said.
