Former President Donald Trump was escorted out of a rally in Butler, Pa. after several pop-like sounds went off. Trump was taken down by his Secret Service team visibly bleeding from his ear before being escorted to a motorcade.
According to the New York Times, the source of the pop sounds is unknown. After a brief moment taken down by his Secret Service team, he rose up and pumped his fist to the crowd before being escorted away from the rally.
Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the Secret Service, said in a statement that Trump “is safe” after “an incident occurred” at his rally in Pennsylvania, the NY Times reported.
The NY Times is also reporting that a spokesman for Trump, Steven Cheung, said Trump is “fine” and being “checked out at a local medical facility.” According to the NY Times, Cheung also said that the former president “thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act.”
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UPDATE: July 13, 7:33 p.m.
The Trump campaign has confirmed that the former president is “fine,” while one rally-goer and the suspected shooter have been confirmed dead.
According to the NY Times, a medical helicopter arrived more than an hour ago to escort the injured rally attendee to a local hospital. The attendee, whose identity has yet to be confirmed, was pronounced dead after the transport.
The Associated Press reports that two officials said the shooter was not a rally attendee and was killed by a Secret Service counterassault team.
Democratic and Republican congresspeople, including Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ. and Sen. J.D. Vance, R-OH., have condemned the incident and sent their sympathies via social media. Former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama also released statements.
“Laura and I are grateful that President Trump is safe following the cowardly attack on his life,” Bush said on X. “And we commend the men and women of the Secret Service for their speedy response.”
The Secret Service, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are currently investigating what they are now calling an attempted assassination against the former president.
President Biden, in a speech given from the White House’s emergency briefing room in Rehoboth Beach, Del., condemned the assault and thanked the Secret Service for their quick response.
“There is no place for this kind of violence in America,” Biden said.
Biden also assured that he plans to speak with Trump and give an official statement after receiving more information.
UPDATE: July 14, 3:13 p.m.
Officials have released new details revealing the identities of both the shooter and the spectator killed during Saturday’s rally.
The FBI identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old man from Bethel Park, Pa., as the attempted assassin Sunday. Officials say that Crooks is a registered Republican on voter records but donated to a liberal PAC in 2021.
Crooks fired eight shots from a nearby rooftop with a semiautomatic rifle before being neutralized by the Secret Service. The spectator who was killed by the gunfire was identified by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as 50-year-old Corey Comperatore.
The two attendees that were also injured, 57-year-old David Dutch and 74-year-old James Copenhaver, are currently in stable condition, Pennsylvanian officials said.
NBC reports that three “suspicious canisters or containers” were found in Crook’s vehicle that authorities believe could’ve possibly been used as explosive devices.
The AP reports that the FBI is investigating the incident as an act of domestic terrorism as well as an attempted assassination.
