Donald Trump Pennsylvania rally live updates: Shooting being investigated as assassination attempt, two dead, FBI ‘close’ to identifying shooter
Former US President Donald Trump was rushed off stage with blood dripping down his face after a shooting that the authorities are investigating as an assassination attempt. One attendee was killed and two others were critically injured at the campaign rally, the Secret Service said, a shocking turn in a tense election season where concerns about violence had already been running high.
During the rally, “a suspected shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue”, according to Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. The suspected shooter is dead, said Guglielmi, who confirmed the other death and injuries.
Trump, in a social media post on Saturday night, said he was shot in his upper right ear and offered his thanks to law enforcement. He also extended his condolences to the families of a person who was shot and killed and another who was injured. A campaign spokesman said the former President was taken to a medical facility but is “fine”.
STORY CONTINUES AFTER LIVEBLOG
Victim of rally shooting 'died a hero'
Rose Garratt
The person killed during Trump's rally has been identified as Corey Comperatore. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro says Comperatore died protecting his family.
The governor said he had spoken to Comperatore’s wife, who asked that he share “that Corey died a hero, that Corey dove on his family to protect them last night at this rally.”
Explosive material found in gunman's car
Rose Garratt
Bomb-making materials were allegedly found inside the vehicle of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the man suspected in the Trump rally shooting, according to reports from AP. Investigators also said there were bomb-making materials found at his home.
The rifle he used in the attack was originally purchased by his father.
Biden and Trump speak
Alanah Eriksen
US Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to Donald Trump after he was attacked, it has been revealed.
According to USA Today, Biden told reporters he had tried to call Trump, but he was with his doctors. A White House official later said that the pair spoke. Biden also reportedly spoke to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Bob Dandoy, the mayor of Butler, Pennsylvania, where the rally was held.
The details of the conversation were not disclosed.
Shooting victim 'like a ragdoll' - doctor
Alanah Eriksen
A retired emergency doctor has described rushing to offer medical assistance on a man in his 30s after he was shot above his right eye.
He told the Washington Post Secret Service agents formed “a pyramid of human bodies” to protect the former president.
“I just went into my muscle memory. When someone says they’re down, I just go. I actually kind of jumped over some people.
“Unfortunately, the gentleman... had a head wound that looked fatal. He was without pulse and respiration and was ashen in color. I saw an entrance wound, which I believe was above his right ear. I did not see an exit wound.
“He’s screwed around as if the shot had taken him down and twisted his body."
He told the Washington Post he performed CPR for a couple of minutes but the man didn't respond.
"Two police officers came and lifted him up, and he was just like a rag doll. He’s completely limp. And his family is right there. And I turn to them, and the look on their faces was unbelievable.”
NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg
Alanah Eriksen
Gunman lay on stomach
Alanah Eriksen
A video published by TMZ shows a gunman laying on his stomach on a rooftop holding a rifle.
“The guy has longer brown hair, and he seems to be wearing a grey shirt/khaki pants - and as you can see, he’s carefully trying to pinpoint a target from afar before pulling the trigger,” TMZ reported.
'A tragedy' - shooter's neighbour
Alanah Eriksen
A neighbour of Thomas Crooks' told the New York Post he saw a bomb squad enter the alleged gunman's family home shortly after 1am local time.
“I saw a post of his name and that he lived in Bethel Park, so I looked him up and he lives 0.3 miles away,” Dan Maloney said.
“I went down there and spoke to the county bomb squad at 1.06 am. He said he was about to go into the house.
"I didn’t know the guy. No one in this neighbourhood really talks to each other.
“It’s a tragedy. One person died, another is in the hospital. He went after a former president and likely the next president."
Former Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard
Alanah Eriksen
She added that she was "praying for President Trump, his safety, and for our country."
Donations roll in
Alanah Eriksen
The GoFundMe page, authorised by Trump, set up to support the families of those injured or killed in the rally has surpassed USD$212,000 (NZ$346,000).
The page was organized by the Trump campaign's national finance direct Meredith O'Rourke.
More than 2800 people have donated since it was set up.
The page has a target of USD$1 million (NZ$1.6 million).
Secret Service invited to testify
Alanah Eriksen
House Oversight Chairman James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, said he had contacted the Secret Service to testify at a hearing.
He called on the agency's director Kimberly Cheatle to appear on Monday.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams
Alanah Eriksen
Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
Alanah Eriksen
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser
Alanah Eriksen
Trump Tower flanked by supporters
Alanah Eriksen
Trump supporters have gathered at Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York on Sunday morning.
The New York Times reported a wall of officers guarded the tower’s gilded entrance and some two dozen people had gathered, even hours after the shooting, to show their support for Trump.
New York deputy mayor for communications Fabien Levy posted on X; "Out of an abundance of caution, the NYPD will be increasing its presence across the city, including at Trump Tower, 40 Wall Street, Foley Square, & City Hall."
Police cars outside shooter's home
Alanah Eriksen
Police cars outside the residence of Thomas Matthew Crooks in Pennsylvania.
Photo / Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images
Shooter seen on several roofs
Alanah Eriksen
A witness has claimed he saw alleged gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks moving from "roof to roof" before the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
Ben Macer told CBS News he was along a fence line when he saw the shooter.
"{I} told an officer {he} was on the roof. When I turned around to go back to where I was, it was when the gunshots started, and then it was just chaos, and we all came running away, and that was that."
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Alanah Eriksen
Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
Alanah Eriksen
'Election likely to be a landslide'
Alanah Eriksen
Trump's odds of winning the US presidency are likely to increase this week, investors have told Reuters.
"From memory, Reagan went up 22 points in the polls after his assassination attempt," said Rong Ren Goh, a portfolio manager in the fixed income team at Eastspring Investments in Singapore.
Nick Ferres, chief investment officer at Vantage Point Asset Management. added: "The election is likely to be a landslide. This probably reduces uncertainty."
GoFundMe page raises thousands
Alanah Eriksen
A GoFundMe page for donations to support those wounded or the families of those killed in the rally has raised more than USD$170,000 (NZ$278,000).
The page was organized by the Trump campaign's national finance direct Meredith O'Rourke.
More than 2000 donations have been made since it was set up.
A description on the page reads: "President Donald Trump has authorized this account as a place for donations to the supporters and families wounded or killed in today’s brutal and horrific assassination attempt.
"All donations will be directed to these proud Americans as they grieve and recover. May God bless and unite our nation."
Former UK Prime Minister says Trump's escape 'a miracle'
Alanah Eriksen
Bomb squad at shooter's home
Alanah Eriksen
After the shooting, dozens of police vehicles were stationed outside the home Crooks had listed on his voter registration record, according to USA Today.
Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were on the scene and a bomb squad was preparing to enter the home.
Neighbours spoken to by USA Today were in shock.
Dan Maloney, 30, told the publication he saw the shooter’s name on social media and discovered he lived down the road.
“It’s insanity that anyone would do this."
John Wolf said he’d been speaking with several worried neighbors.
“People are scared."
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
Alanah Eriksen
The full FBI statement
Alanah Eriksen
The FBI has identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the subject involved in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on July 13, in Butler, Pennsylvania. This remains an active and ongoing investigation, and anyone with information that may assist with the investigation is encouraged to submit photos or videos online at FBI.gov/butler or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
No criminal history
Alanah Eriksen
Crooks did not have a criminal history reflected in Pennsylvania’s public court records, according to the New York Times, Officials have said they have not identified a motive for the shooting.
Star student
Alanah Eriksen
Crooks received a $500 “star award” in 2022 from Bethel Park High School from the National Math and Science Initiative, according to western Pennsylvania's Tribune-Review.
An online recording of his graduation ceremony shows Crooks crossing the stage to applause after his name is called out, the New York Times reported. He was described as slender and had glasses. Donning his black graduation gown, Crooks briefly posed with a school official and accepted his diploma.
This year’s presidential election would have been the first Crooks was old enough to vote in.
Shooter's father speaks
Alanah Eriksen
When contacted by CNN on Saturday night, Crook's father Matthew Crooks said he was trying to figure out "what the hell is going on".
He told CNN he would "wait until I talk to law enforcement" before speaking about his son.
CNN reported Crooks was registered to vote as a Republican, but Federal Election Commission records show a donor listed as Thomas Crooks, with the same address, gave $15 to a Democratic-aligned political action committee called the Progressive Turnout Project in January 2021.
According to US media, Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022.
French President Emmanuel Macron
Alanah Eriksen
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joins other world leaders in condemning attack
Alanah Eriksen
Airspace closed
Alanah Eriksen
The Federal Aviation Administration has said the airspace over Bethel Park, where the shooter was from, was closed "effective immediately" for security reasons.
UK Prime Minister condemns attack
Alanah Eriksen
Alanah Eriksen
NBC reported that Pennsylvania voter records listed a Thomas Matthew Crooks – who had the same address and birth date – as a registered Republican. NBC said it was not clear from the records when that registration was put in place.
FBI identifies shooter
James Wheeler
The FBI has identified the man who tried to kill Donald Trump.
In a statement, the organisation said: "The FBI has identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the subject involved in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on 13 July, in Butler, Pennsylvania.
"This remains an active and ongoing investigation."
James Wheeler
James Wheeler
Video has been posted by Trump associate Margo Martin showing Donald Trump walking off his plane, the first video of the former President since the attempt on his life.
Trump lands in New Jersey
James Wheeler
Donald Trump's private plane has just landed in Newark, New Jersey.
James Wheeler
Bivens said in defence of the Secret Service it is “incredibly difficult to have a venue open to the public and secure that against any possible threat against a very determined attacker”.
- Daily Telegraph UK
Shooter confirmed as male
James Wheeler
“There’s going to be law enforcement fanning out,” in the Butler, Pennsylvania community doing interviews in the coming days, Bivens said.
Bivens confirmed the shooter was male.
James Wheeler
Bivens said the shooting victims have been identified, but authorities are not prepared to release their names.
- The Washington Post
James Wheeler
The three spectators who were shot, including the one who was killed and two who were critically injured, were adult men, Bivens said.
Suspect "tentatively identified"
James Wheeler
Law enforcement officials were aware of reports of "suspicious activity" in the lead-up to the shooting, it's been confirmed.
Officers were responding to those reports when the shooting started.
FBI special agent Kevin Rojek said the FBI was using DNA and biometric testing to confirm the suspected gunman's identity.
In the meantime the man had been “tentatively identified”.
Pennsylvania state police Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens said one shooter has been tentatively identified but authorities were “not stopping there, we are following up on a lot of information".
There were no police hit by gunfire, Bivens said.
FBI update on "assassination attempt"
James Wheeler
The FBI is now the lead agency investigating the shooting.
FBI special agent Kevin Rojek said the agency was close to confirming the shooter’s identity.
He described today’s events as an “assassination attempt”.
FBI agents remained at the rally venue, which was now being treated as a crime scene.
Police press conference under way
James Wheeler
James Wheeler
FBI have ID'd shooter - CNN; AR-15-style rifle used - Washington Post
James Wheeler
CNN is reporting the FBI have identified the Trump rally shooter and that he is a 20-year-old from Pennsylvania. A CNN reporter has posted on X, citing sources.
The FBI is not releasing the name of the suspected shooter yet, CNN reported. Reuters was not immediately able to confirm the report.
- Reuters
The suspected shooter used an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle to carry out the attack, a US official said, also speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the early stages of the investigation.
- The Washington Post
Trump's short, defiant email to supporters
James Wheeler
Donald Trump has sent an email to his supporters with a short but defiant message after he was injured during a shooting at his rally Saturday night in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“THIS IS A MESSAGE FROM DONALD TRUMP,” the brief email read.
“I WILL NEVER SURRENDER!” The email signed off with his signature and portrait.
Watch: Witness said he tried to stop the gunman
James Wheeler
A Trump supporter said he signalled to police and secret service agents that there was was a man “bear-crawling” on the roof of a building.
He said he was pointing to the gunman for “two or three minutes” but authorities did not react until after “five shots rang out”.
“He had a rifle” he told the BBC.
“We’re like [telling police he is] ‘right here on the roof, we see him... he’s crawling’.
“I’m thinking to myself, why is Trump still speaking?”
- UK Daily Telegraph
Warning: The video contains some details which may be distressing
Secret Service Director asked to testify
James Wheeler
The Republican-led US House of Representatives Oversight Committee on Saturday invited US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to testify on July 22 following the shooting at the rally of former President Donald Trump.
"Americans demand answers about the assassination attempt of President Trump."
- Reuters
James Wheeler
Opinion: Attempt on Trump's life changes everything for presidential election
James Wheeler
"In the seconds after gunshots rang out across the showground where the Republican nominee was addressing his supporters, it became clear that everything had changed."
Read more from the Daily Telegraph UK's Tony Diver here:
Footage shows sniper returning fire
James Wheeler
Video posted to X which purports to show the moment a sniper returns fire after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
Trump out of hospital - Bloomberg
James Wheeler
Donald Trump has now been released from hospital following treatment for his shooting injury, according to Bloomberg.
Biden has spoken to Trump
James Wheeler
President Joe's Biden office says he has now spoken to Trump, but no details of the conversation have been divulged.
Biden is returning to the White House and will be briefed by the Secret Service on today's shooting.
It is unclear how long the call lasted, or when the pair last spoke over the phone.
Biden returning to DC
James Wheeler
The New York Times is reporting Joe Biden will return to the White House from his vacation home in Delaware.
The UK's Daily Telegraph is reporting Biden had been planning to spend the entire weekend at his beach house in Rehoboth, Delaware, following some of the most difficult days of his presidency, in which fellow Democrats called on him to quit the 2024 race.
'Sick': Biden condemns Trump shooting
James Wheeler
“There is no place in America for this kind of violence,” President Joe Biden said in remarks from the Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, police department. “It’s sick. It cannot be like this. We cannot condone this.”
Read more from what Biden had to say here:
Witnesses describe moments after assassination attempt
James Wheeler
The pops came in pairs, a burst of five or six total. Trump swatted his ear, as if he heard a mosquito. Then he hunched his shoulders and ducked.
“Get down, get down, get down!” Secret Service agents shouted as they rushed up onto the stage and surrounded him.
The crowd screamed. Another burst of popping noises. More screaming. The people in the bleachers behind Trump shuffled, unsure where to go. The people in chairs or standing crouched or leaped to the ground. A dense cloud of smoke hung to the right of the stage, then dispersed quickly.
More from the Washington Post's Isaac Arnsdorf and Jabin Botsford here:
Acting PM Seymour reacts to Trump shooting
Hamish Fletcher
David Seymour, who is Acting Prime Minister while Christopher Luxon and Winston Peters are overseas, is talking to media in Wellington.
Seymour said the implications of the shooting at Donald Trump's rally would be "complicated".
He hoped Americans would take a "deep breath" and commit themselves to a open debate and peaceful assembly.
"Politics is about problem-solving and persuasion, you can't be very good at problem-solving or persuasion if you have to use bullets."
Seymour, also the Act Party leader, said the incident hadn't changed his position on domestic gun law reform, which his party was driving.
He said the United States had a very different set of laws which meant New Zealand was "not even in the same ballpark".
He said he had "great faith" in the US democracy to remain intact and adapt following the incident but acknowledged it would be a "real challenge".
Asked whether New Zealand was safe, Seymour said he was proud he was able to safely walk in public without security to conduct media interviews like he'd done this afternoon.
Hamish Fletcher
Reuters reports the shooting at Donald Trump's rally in Pennsylvania is being investigated as an assassination attempt.
Hamish Fletcher
CNN reports that the Republican National Convention will open Monday as scheduled, citing a party official.
The suspected shooting at Donald Trump’s rally on Saturday night (UST) will not alter plans to formally nominate the former President in Milwaukee.
Hamish Fletcher
Winston Peters: 'We are shocked by the violence'
Hamish Fletcher
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, who is currently travelling to Korea, said he was shocked by today's violence.
"New Zealand and the United States are two of the longest-running democracies in the world," he said in a social media post.
"We share a proud tradition of political differences being settled at the ballot box, not by violence. We are shocked by the violence directed at former President Donald Trump’s rally today.
"Our thoughts are with the American people directly affected at this difficult time."
Spectator killed, 2 critically wounded
Hamish Fletcher
A Secret Service spokesman has confirmed that a suspected shooter fired multiple shots from a position outside of the rally.
“The US Secret Service personnel neutralised the shooter, who is now deceased.”
The spokesman said one spectator was killed and two others were critically injured.
Hamish Fletcher
Trump: "I felt bullet ripping through my skin"
Hamish Fletcher
Donald Trump has confirmed he was shot at his rally in Pennsylvania.
"I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear," he said in a statement.
"I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots and immediately felt the bullet ripping through my skin."
"Much bleeding took place, so I realised then what was happening."
Hamish Fletcher
Hamish Fletcher
Could this incident lead to Trump winning the presidency?
Yes, says one commentator.
Hamish Fletcher
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said political views should be put aside to condemn violence directed at politicians "in the strongest possible terms".
"There is no place for violence in democracy. Regardless of your political views, violent attacks on any political candidate should be condemned in the strongest possible terms," he said.
"My thoughts are with the American people, former President Trump, and all those at the rally today."
Hamish Fletcher
New York Times reporter Simon J Levien, who was at the rally, wrote that Trump had just starting talking about immigration in his speech when “several shots rang out from the bleachers to his right”.
“There were screams in the crowd as Mr Trump ducked to the ground before being surrounded by bodyguards. Around me, people were screaming and saying, 'Get down, get down, shots fired'. I ducked under the press stand and remained there — until I heard cheering.”
Levien said that he emerged to see Trump raising his fist to a subdued but cheering crowd. Some rallygoers were crowded around several people lying prone and it appeared at least three people were injured.
“Trump was just elected today, folks,” he heard a man shout. “He is a martyr.”
Hamish Fletcher
President Joe Biden said he had tried to contact Donald Trump, who was “with his doctors”.
“There’s no place in American for this kind of violence – it's sick.”
“The bottom line is a Trump rally should have been able to be conducted peacefully without any problems," Biden told reporters.
“Everybody must condemn it.”
Asked whether he believed the shooting was an assassination attempt, Biden said he didn't have enough information to comment on that.
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour responds
Hamish Fletcher
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour said New Zealand's thoughts were with Trump and the American people while condemning "political violence in all its forms".
Seymour, in a statement posted to social media, acknowledged Trump and the person reported to have died as a result of the shooting while at the rally.
He said the United States and New Zealand were similar in how they were founded on "free debate, peaceful assembly and non-violence that are essential to democracy".
"New Zealand condemns political violence in all its forms, wherever it occurs," Seymour said.
"Nobody should ever be intimidated out of participating in any democracy by violence. We will never let such people win."
Seymour is standing in as acting PM with Christopher Luxon on holiday and Winston Peters travelling to Japan and Korea in his capacity as Foreign Affairs Minister.
Witness claims they saw shooter
Hamish Fletcher
A witness at the rally told the BBC he saw the shooter on a roof near the rally and attempted to alert law enforcement.
"We noticed the guy crawling up the roof of the building beside us, 50 feet away from us," said the witness, named Greg.
"He had a rifle, we could clearly see him with a rifle."
Greg told the BBC they pointed the man out to police.
"I’m thinking to myself ‘Why is Trump still speaking? Why have they not pulled him off the stage?’"
“Next thing you know, five shots ring out."
The BBC cautioned that the situation was “still fluid” and it could not fully verify the claims made by the witness.
Hamish Fletcher
Hamish Fletcher
Hamish Fletcher
Theresa Koshut, a teacher from Pittsburgh at the rally, told the New York Times she immediately ducked when she heard what she thought were shots. “I dropped and rolled under the bleachers,” she said. “I didn't even think.”
Hamish Fletcher
A man who said he was an emergency physician told CBS News he attempted to treat a person at the rally who been shot:
"I heard the shots, I thought it was firecrackers to begin with.” said the witness, whose T-shirt appeared to be covered in blood.
“Somebody over there was screaming, ‘He's been shot, he's been shot’. So I made my way over... the guy had spun around and was jammed between the benches, he had a head shot here, there was lots of blood..."
Hamish Fletcher
The former President's son, Donald Trump Jr, posted to X saying his father would "never stop fighting to try to save America".
Hamish Fletcher
Former President George W. Bush issued a statement to the New York Times:
“Laura and I are grateful that President Trump is safe following the cowardly attack on his life. And we commend the men and women of the Secret Service for their speedy response.”
Trump grazed by gunfire, one dead, shooter killed
Hamish Fletcher
A Washington Post reporter, citing the local district attorney, said Trump was grazed by gunfire.
The reporter also said an audience member was killed at the rally and the shooter was dead.
'Despicable attack on a peaceful rally'
Hamish Fletcher
“Tonight, all Americans are grateful that President Trump appears to be fine after a despicable attack on a peaceful rally. Violence has no place in our politics. We appreciate the swift work of the Secret Service and other law enforcement," Senator Mitch McConnell, who leads the Republicans in the Senate, told the New York Times.
Hamish Fletcher
CNN is reporting a person is in custody. It is also trying to confirm with the secret service that audio can be heard saying “shooter down”.
Hamish Fletcher
Hamish Fletcher
Hamish Fletcher
Trump appeared to repeatedly shout “fight” to supporters when he raised his clenched fist with blood on his face as secret service agents hustled him off stage. The crowd responded with cheers and shouts of “USA, USA, USA”.
One believed dead in suspected rally shooting
Hamish Fletcher
A journalist for Pittsburgh TV station WTAE-TV said one person is believed dead in the suspected shooting.
Musk endorses Trump, hopes for speedy recovery
Hamish Fletcher
Billionaire businessman Elon Musk posted on X, the social media platform he owns, that he hopes for Trump's quick recovery.
Hamish Fletcher
Hamish Fletcher
Trump could be heard saying “let me get my shoes on” as secret service agents helped him in the immediate aftermath of the incident.
Trump is 'safe', being checked at medical centre
Sophie Ryan
A spokesman for the Secret Service, Anthony Guglielmi, said in a statement to the New York Times that Trump “is safe” after “an incident occurred” at his rally in Pennsylvania.
A Trump spokesperson told the New York Times that the former President is “fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility.” They also said that Trump “thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act”.
Biden briefed on rally incident
Sophie Ryan
President Joe Biden has received an initial briefing on the incident, the New York Times reports.
Information scarce
Sophie Ryan
Members of the Secret Service are asking all press to leave the scene as they declare it a crime scene, the New York Times reported.
Trump's team is reportedly in lockdown and information about what occurred has been scarce.
STORY CONTINUES
“It is incredible that such an act can take place in our country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The scene unfolded just days before he is set to formally receive the GOP nomination for president at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee – and renewed fears about rising threats of political violence.
Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger said the shooter was on the roof of an office building outside the security perimeter for the event. The incident is being investigated as an attempted assassination, with the FBI, Secret Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives all working on the case, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Minutes into his remarks, Trump reached for his right ear and then crouched behind the lectern after the first of several pops, which sent the crowd into a panic. A voice was heard saying, “Get down, get down, get down!” Several more apparent shots followed a couple of seconds later. Audience members screamed, and smoke rose in the air.
Members of Trump’s Secret Service detail rushed in, one yelling, “Hawkeye is here!” as members of the Secret Service’s counter-assault team mounted the stage, wearing black tactical gear and pointing rifles at the crowd – trying to give the former president and his detail cover so that agents could rush him to safety.
The crowd roared as Trump and the officers began to maneuver offstage. The former President pumped his fist while walking off with what appeared to be blood dripping down his right ear and streaked across his cheek. A Washington Post photographer observed what appeared to be blood on the riser behind the former president.
Trump’s campaign issued a statement condemning the incident. “President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act. He is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility,” campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in the statement. Later in the evening, Trump campaign advisers and Republican Party officials said in a joint statement that Trump looked forward to proceeding with the convention.
At a news conference Saturday evening, President Joe Biden – who was at a church in Delaware during the incident – said he had been briefed and had tried to contact Trump, who he understood to be doing well. “Look, there’s no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick,” Biden said. “It’s sick. It’s one of the reasons why we have to unite this country.”
Late in the evening, a White House official said Biden and Trump had spoken.
Biden campaign officials said Saturday night that they were working to pull down their television ads as quickly as they could.
Goldinger, the district attorney, said the shooter was on the roof of a nearby office belonging to American Glass Research. William Bellis, chief financial officer at AGR International – which calls American Glass Research a subsidiary and is based in a cluster of buildings closest to the Trump rally – said Saturday night that the company worked with local police beforehand on security concerns. Police blocked off public access to the company’s parking lot, and that space was available for law enforcement use, Bellis said.
Rico Elmore, a former Republican candidate for the Pennsylvania House who spoke ahead of Trump, was close to the stage when shots rang out. At first, he said it sounded like firecrackers. Elmore, an Air Force guardsman, yelled for people to get down and heard some call for a medic.
About three metres from him, to the right of Trump, a man in the audience was bleeding from his head, Elmore said. Before the medical responders could reach the man, Elmore jumped over a barrier and tried to hold the head wound, the blood smearing across Elmore’s white shirt.
“I held his head and keep it in tact but it was just, it was a serious injury,” Elmore said. He didn’t believe the man survived. He said he also saw a woman passed out, but she didn’t appear to be bloodied.
“There was a lot of anger, a lot of fear, a lot of crying. There were a couple people praying,” said Cindy Hildebrand, the chairwoman of the United Republicans of Butler County, who was also at the rally. A woman next to her had a 7-year-old daughter who was up front hanging from a post excited to see Trump. “Now we have a 7-year-old somewhere out there that is just absolutely traumatised.”
As Republicans raised alarms about the vitriol of some opposition to Trump, Hildebrand said her organisation received a phone call after the shooting from a woman who said: “He gets what he deserves.”
The crowd evacuated in an orderly manner, some directing anger over what happened at the media. Police told people to leave because the site was an active crime scene.
Dave McCormick, the Republican candidate for Senate in Pennsylvania – who was in the front row – said during an interview on Fox News that he saw a lot of blood and that Trump is “very lucky to be alive.”
Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement that he had been briefed on the shooting and briefed the president. The FBI, ATF, US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the Justice Department’s national security division are working with the Secret Service as other law enforcement agencies, Garland said, adding that “violence like this is an attack on our democracy”.
Pennsylvania Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro said that he was also briefed on the situation and that state police were at the site. “Violence targeted at any political party or political leader is absolutely unacceptable,” Shapiro said in a statement. “It has no place in Pennsylvania or the United States.”
National and world leaders across the political spectrum quickly weighed in with horror at what unfolded and offered well wishes for Trump.
“There is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy,” former president Barack Obama said in a statement.
“Political violence has no place in our country,” Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer echoed.
Republicans shared images of Trump fist-pumping toward the crowd.
“God protected President Trump,” wrote Senator Marco Rubio, a vice-presidential contender, in a posting with the picture. Another possible running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, also shared the photo.
As information about the violence was just beginning to emerge - with authorities saying little about the details of the incident – some Republicans suggested rhetoric from Democrats was to blame. Representative Mike Collins (R-Ga.) went further: “Joe Biden sent the orders,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
There is no evidence that Biden was behind the attack.
Vance said in a statement on social media that the shooting was “not just some isolated incident”.
“The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs,” Vance wrote. “That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”
Republicans preparing for the convention in Milwaukee gathered around televisions in a hotel lobby after the incident. Charlie Gerow, a Pennsylvania-based GOP strategist, was in the hotel and described an emotional scene with people crossing themselves and looking stunned.
The convention is expected to continue but with additional security, according to an official familiar with the preparations who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.
At a moment when threats against elected officials have escalated, presidential historian Tim Naftali said the tone that Trump and other leaders take in the coming days will have an enormous bearing on what happens next.
Describing the country as a “pressure cooker”, Naftali said: “We’ve been turning up the gas – and some kind of political violence seemed increasingly likely.”
“As a country we have been dancing around Pandora’s box,” said Naftali, who teaches presidential studies at Columbia University’s School of International Public Affairs, “and a horrible person today may have opened it.”