Former President Donald Trump said he was shot in the right ear after gunfire erupted at his political rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The former president’s campaign said in a statement that he was “fine” after the incident, which saw him rushed from the stage. One attendee at the rally was shot and died, and the shooter, who fired from an elevated position, was killed by the US Secret Service, the agency said in a statement. Two additional attendees were critically injured.
In a post to his social media network, Trump extended his condolences to the family of the dead rally-goer and thanked law enforcement for their response.
“I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear,” Trump said in a post to Truth Social. “I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realised then what was happening.”
Trump grabbed at the right side of his face after loud popping noises were heard at the rally. Secret Service agents rushed to the stage, yelling “get down” and formed a circle around the former president.
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Trump suffered heavy bleeding from the injury to his ear, according to a person familiar with his condition.
President Joe Biden delivered brief remarks from Delaware, condemning political violence. “We cannot be like this, we cannot condone this,” Biden said. “Everybody must condemn it.”
Biden said he had been unable to reach Trump, who was with his doctors, but that he hoped to speak with him tonight.
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Asked if the shooting was an assassination attempt, the president said he had an opinion but did not have enough facts to make that assessment. The incident is being investigated as such an attempt, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The Secret Service said in a statement that Trump was safe and that they had implemented protective measures.
“This is now an active Secret Service investigation and further information will be released when available,” Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the agency said in a post on X.
The FBI and Pennsylvania State Police are on the scene assisting in the investigation, the agencies said. Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger said the shooter was outside the rally site in an interview with CNN.
Immediately after shots were fired rally attendees dove to the ground, ducking for cover. Police told onlookers to leave the event. Many listened and rushed off, particularly those with kids. Others milled around and there were a couple instances of small fights that broke out between people as they made their way out.
The incident happened about 6.13pm New York time, just a few minutes after Trump began speaking on stage.
David McCormick, the former Bridgewater Associates chief executive officer turned Republican Senate candidate, was at the rally. McCormick said he heard a series of seven or eight shots and said someone behind him in the audience had been hit.
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“People around this gentleman were trying to administer first aid, and he was clearly — this person was clearly injured, seems severely,” he said in an interview with CNN. “There was a lot of blood.”
In a statement earlier Saturday, Biden said he was “grateful” to hear Trump was “safe and doing well.”
“I’m praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information,” Biden said. “Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety. There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.”
The Biden campaign is pausing all outbound communications and working to pull down television ads as soon as they can, according to a campaign official.
Biden was briefed on the incident by Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall. The president’s chief of staff and other aides also participated in the briefing.
Trump was visiting swing-state Pennsylvania for his last rally before the Republican National Convention begins on Monday, and as he is preparing to announce his vice-presidential pick.
Photo: Bloomberg
