Thousands of attendees came to see former President Donald Trump speak at a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania. Doors to the event opened at 1 p. m. , drawing a crowd in 90-degree heat.
Trump was originally scheduled to speak at 5 p. m. local time.
The former president took the level approximately an hour after his speech. At 6:02 p. m. , he stepped up to the microphone and greeted the crowd.
Lee Greenwood’s song “God Bless the USA” playing in the background. Trump, wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat, appeared to be in a good mood.
Trump began his remarks at the rally shortly after 6 p. m. He marveled at the number of people who had piled up before him, introduced off-script attacks on the “fake news” media, and began describing how the country was “going to hell. “
Eyewitness accounts revealed that the would-be assassin was seen on a nearby rooftop as Trump took the stage.
“We saw a bear crawling on the roof of the building next to us, 15 metres away,” a witness told the BBC. “So we showed the guy crawling on the roof. . . he had a gun; obviously we can see with a rifle. “
The man told the BBC that he and his friends tried to alert the secret service to the shooter’s presence and alert local police.
“The police said, ‘Hey, what?’ Like they didn’t know what was going on,” she said. “I wonder why Trump keeps talking. I point at the ceiling. . . for two or three minutes, and the Secret Service is chasing us. “
The Washington Post and The Associated Press reported that the suspected shooter came face-to-face with a local police officer while on the roof, but the police officer failed to subdue him.
When Trump began talking about immigration statistics, he turned to his right to talk about illegal border crossings.
“Look what happened. . . “, Trump said. It was at that moment that the first 3 shots rang out.
The FBI later proved that the shooter was armed with a legally purchased “AR-type” rifle.
Trump may be seen putting his right hand to his right ear and grimacing before crouching under the podium.
It was later decided that the suspected shooter would be on the roof of a building next to the rally, approximately 450 feet from Trump’s location at the podium.
Secret Service agents rushed to the scene, surrounded Trump and leaned on him after he appeared to have been punched.
“Get down! Get down! Get down! Get down!” An officer may be heard yelling as several more gunshots are heard.
Several bystanders who were at the demonstration were injured in the incident. One spectator was killed and two others were injured.
Other Secret Service agents temporarily exchanged gunfire with the alleged gunman, killing him.
“The shooter has fallen,” an officer can be heard saying from the scene.
An organization of Secret Service agents helped Trump recover. There was blood on the former president’s face and for a moment he gave the impression of being disoriented. Trump may be heard asking for his shoes.
As he steps off the stage, Trump can be heard telling the Secret Service agents around him to “wait. “
Officers gave Trump a moment to recover, and in the pause amid the whirlwind of movement, he raised his fist and shouted to the crowd, “Fight, fight, fight!
Trump can be seen raising his fist in the air as he was led to the motorcade vehicle. The procession followed through an ambulance.
“An incident occurred on the night of July 13 at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told X, about an hour after Trump left the stage. “The secrecy has implemented protective measures and the former president is safe” This is now an active investigation through secrecy and more data will be published as soon as it becomes available.
One incident occurred on the night of July 13 at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania. The secret facilities have implemented protective measures and the former president is safe and sound. There is now an active investigation through the Secret Service and more information will be released as it becomes available.
“I need to thank the United States Secret Service and all law enforcement for their reaction to the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania,” Trump wrote in an article on Truth Social. “Most importantly, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the relatives of the user who was killed at the rally, as well as to the relatives of any other user who was seriously injured. “
And he added: “Such an act can take place in our country. At the moment, nothing is known about the shooter, who is now dead. I received a bullet that passed through the upper part of my right ear. Without delay I knew that something It was bad because I heard a whistle, gunshots and without delay I felt the bullet tearing the skin, then I realized what was happening.
Secret Service spokesman Guglielmi wrote in a message posted on social media that he was “grateful to the Secret Service team and our law enforcement partners for their swift action” and sent his condolences to the families of those killed and injured in the incident.
He said the alleged gunman “fired several shots in the direction of the scene from an elevated position outside the demonstration site. “
“US. The Secret Service corps neutralized the shooter, who is now deceased,” he continued. “The United States Secret Service temporarily responded with protective measures and the former president is safe and being evaluated. One bystander was killed and two bystanders were seriously injured. “
Here’s the latest from our research. We are grateful to the Secret Service team and our law enforcement partners for their swift action. Our thoughts are with the families affected by this tragedia. pic. twitter. com/E8FazqtUVZ
The Secret Service quickly came under intense scrutiny for the “major failure” that allowed the former president to be shot during the event.
Amid the criticism, the FBI issued a statement saying it would lead the ongoing investigation into the shooting.
“We will continue to assist in this investigation with the full resources of the FBI, along with our partners at the United States Secret Service and state and local authorities,” he said.
Updated by the FBI on the ongoing incident that took place today in Butler, Pennsylvania. pic. twitter. com/zWr5ZqyJBI
FBI spokesman Kevin Rojek, at a press conference that lasted until Sunday morning, said that the company had considered the incident an assassination attempt on the former president.
“The FBI has known Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as involved in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania,” said a statement released by the FBI.
He continued, “This is an active and ongoing investigation, and anyone who has data that may contribute to the investigation should submit photographs or videos online at fbi. gov/butler or call 1-800-CALL-FBI. “
More information about Crooks continued to come in after the government revealed his identity. Here’s what we know about him so far.
In a Facebook on Sunday, Allyson Comperatore wrote a memorial for her father, Corey Comperatore, identifying him as the victim killed in the protest shooting.
Corey Comperatore, 50-year-old volunteer firefighter and father of two.
“The media probably won’t tell you he died a real superhero,” Allyson Comperatore wrote on Facebook. “They’re not going to tell you how he temporarily threw my mother and me to the ground. They’re not going to tell you that he was my body from the bullet that hit us. “
She added, “He is a man of God who thoroughly enjoyed Jesus. I know God is proud of the man who came to his doors yesterday. “
Comperatore’s identity was revealed through the state’s governor, Josh Shapiro, on Sunday afternoon.
At press time, a Trump-backed GoFundMe for Comperatore and other shooting victims had raised more than $3. 175 million.
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