Former President Trump, the target of an assassination attempt on Saturday at a rally in Pennsylvania, days before accepting the Republican nomination for the third time. A burst of gunfire sparked panic and a bloodied Trump, who said he had been shot in the ear, surrounded by the Secret Service and ran toward his truck as he shook his fist in defiance.
Trump’s crusader said the presumptive Republican nominee was “doing well” after the shooting, which he said pierced the top of his right ear.
“I immediately knew something was wrong, I heard a whistle, gunshots and immediately felt the bullet tear the skin. There was a lot of bleeding,” he wrote on his social network.
The FBI identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. “This is an active and ongoing investigation, and with data that may help, the investigation is encouraged to submit photographs or videos online at FBI. gov/butler or call 1-800-CALL-FBI,” the firm said.
No information is immediately available about the shooter or his motives.
In the memo, Trump’s most sensible crusade advisers thanked the Secret Service and all first responders for their efforts.
The memo also states that staff in Washington and West Palm Beach, Florida, remain away from the workplace while they compare those locations. The memo also states that they are strengthening the armed security presence there.
“Our highest priority is the protection of all members of these personnel,” the memo said.
The memo also instructs not to comment publicly on the obvious assassination attempt against Trump and that harmful speech on social media will not be tolerated.
“I love our country, I love you all, and I look forward to speaking to our wonderful country this week from Wisconsin,” Trump said in his Sunday morning social media post.
The players at the rally screamed in panic. Shouts of “Drop!” resonated through the crowd. At least one player was killed and two spectators were seriously injured, the government said. The Secret Service said it had killed the suspected shooter, who it said had attacked from an elevated position outside the rally site, an agricultural show in Butler, Pennsylvania. and may Trump be safe.
It is the most serious assassination attempt committed against a president or presidential candidate since the assassination of Ronald Reagan in 1981. It happened in a deeply polarized political atmosphere, just four months before the election. presidential elections and a few days before Trump officially named the Republican candidate. at his party’s conference, which according to his crusade would go ahead as planned.
“There is no position in the United States for this violence,” President Biden, who opposes Trump as the presumptive Democratic candidate, said in a speech. “He’s crazy. He’s crazy. “
Two officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. They said the gunman did not attend the rally and killed through secret service agents.
Authorities said the shooter was targeted by members of the Secret Service Counter Strike Team. The heavily armed tactical team travels with the president and primary party candidates and is expected to deal with any active threats while other officials focus on protecting and evacuating the user to the coverage center.
Law enforcement recovered an AR-style rifle at the scene, according to a third user familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.
An Associated Press investigation of more than a dozen videos and images of the Trump rally site, as well as satellite photographs of the venue, shows the shooter managed to get weirdly close to the site where the former president was speaking. on social media and geotagged via the AP shows the framing of a user dressed in gray camouflage, motionless on the roof of an AGR International Inc. building, a production plant just north of the Butler Farm Show site where Trump’s rally took place.
The roof where the user was standing was less than 150 meters from where Trump was speaking, a distance from which a clever sniper could succeed on a human-sized target. For reference, 150 meters is the distance at which U. S. Army recruits are able to travel to the U. S. U. S. You have to hit a human-sized figure to qualify with the M-16 rifle.
Many Republicans blamed Biden and his allies for the violence, arguing that sustained attacks on Trump, seen as a risk to democracy, have created a poisonous environment. In particular, they pointed to a comment Biden made to donors on July 8, saying “it’s time to hit the nail on the head. “
Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, shows a graph of the number of border crossings at his last rally before the Republican National Convention began on Monday, when the obvious gunfire began.
Two minutes passed from the moment of the first shot before Trump was placed in a reserve van.
As Trump spoke, a pop was heard and the former president put his right hand to his right ear, while other people in the stands seemed surprised.
When the first pop sounded, Trump said “Oh” and grabbed his ear as two more pops were heard and crouched down. More shots were heard.
Someone can be heard saying near Trump’s lectern microphone, “Drop, duck, duck, duck!” as officers attacked the former president. They gathered the most sensitive things about him from his body, such as his educational protocol. while other officials took positions at the level to search for the threat.
Screams could be heard from the crowd of several thousand people. We hear a woman screaming louder than the others. Afterward, voices were heard saying “the shooter has fallen” several times, before someone asked, “Are we fit to move?” ” and “Are we clear?” Then someone ordered: “Let’s go. “
Trump may be heard in the video saying at least twice, “Let me take my shoes, let me take my shoes,” with a voice saying, “I’ve given them to you, sir. “
Trump stood up moments later and you can tell he puts his right hand to his face. He gave the impression of blood on his face. He then raised his fist in the air and gave the impression of saying the word “Fight” twice in front of his crowd of supporters, prompting loud applause and then chants of “United States. “UNITED STATES. UNITED STATES. “
The crowd cheered him as he stood up and waved his fist.
His caravan left the scene a few moments later. The video shows Trump turning toward the crowd and raising his fist just before being loaded into a vehicle.
Police began leaving the fairgrounds shortly after Trump left the scene in what local officials described as a crime scene.
The dangers of the crusades took on new urgency after the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in California in 1968, and back in 1972, when Arthur Bremer shot and seriously wounded George Wallace, who was running as an independent with a rarely questionable crusade program. compared to Trump’s. This led to increased coverage of the candidates, threats persisted, notably endorsement of Jesse Jackson in 1988 and Barack Obama in 2008.
Presidents, after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, have even higher degrees of security. Trump is a rarity as a former president and current candidate.
Biden was briefed about the incident and spoke to Trump several hours later, the White House said. He got an update from Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas and the White House Department of Homeland Security. Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall.
Mayorkas, whose branch oversees the Secret Service, said officials were involved in the Biden and Trump campaigns and were “taking every measure imaginable to ensure their protection and safety. “
After the shooting at Trump’s rally, Biden’s crusade suspended all messages to his supporters and is working to remove all of its TV classified ads as temporarily as possible, the crusade said.
Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. , posted on the social media platform X a photo of Trump, his fist raised and his face bloodied in front of an American flag, with the words: “He will never stop fighting to save United States. “
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Ohio Sen. J. D. Vance, the three men on Trump’s short list for vice president, were quick to send out statements expressing fear for the former president, and Rubio shared a symbol taken as Trump was escorted away. level with his fist in the air and a blood stain on his face accompanied by the words “God, President Trump”.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said in a statement in X that he had been notified of the situation and that Pennsylvania State Police were present at the scene of the demonstration.
“Violence against a politician or a political leader is surely unacceptable. He has no position in Pennsylvania or in the United States,” he said.
Colvin, Long, Smyth, Balsamo, Tucker and Price write for the Associated Press.
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