Former President Donald Trump was rushed offstage after shots were fired at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Saturday evening. Trump said in a social media post that he was injured when a bullet pierced the upper part of his right ear. The Secret Service confirmed that Trump is now safe and was checked at a local hospital before leaving a few hours later. Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., reassured the public that his father is “doing fine.”
The U.S. Secret Service confirmed that two people are dead — the gunman and an audience member — and two spectators were critically injured. State police said the shooting victims were all men, but their names were not released.
The FBI identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. Authorities are investigating the shooting as an “attempted assassination.” The gunman opened fire with a semi-automatic AR-15 from an elevated position outside the rally venue, about 400 feet away from the stage.
Suspicious devices were found in the gunman’s vehicle, and bomb technicians were called to the scene to secure and investigate the devices. The FBI is leading the investigation, with assistance from the Secret Service and state and local agencies.
President Biden addressed the nation, condemning the violence and calling for unity. He confirmed that he spoke with Trump by phone. Trump’s motorcade departed the hospital and he later landed at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
Political figures from both parties quickly condemned the attack, with Vice President Kamala Harris, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and other leaders expressing relief that Trump was not seriously injured and calling for an end to political violence.
Security has been tightened at Trump Tower in Manhattan, and the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department increased its presence across the city as a precaution. The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, with the House planning to conduct a full investigation into the tragic events.