Donald Trump appeared to be the target of an assassination attempt as he spoke during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, law enforcement officials said.
The former president, his ear covered in blood from what he said was a gunshot, was quickly pulled away by U.S. Secret Service agents and his campaign said he was safe.
A local prosecutor said the suspected gunman and at least one attendee are dead. The Secret Service said two spectators were critically injured.
Posting on his Truth Social media site about two and a half hours after the shooting, Trump said a bullet “pierced the upper part of my right ear.”
“I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin,” he said in the post. “Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening.”
Donald Trump was shot in the ear during a Saturday campaign rally, streaking the Republican presidential candidate’s blood across his face and prompting his security agents to swarm him before he emerged and pumped his fist in the air, appearing to mouth the words “Fight! Fight! Fight!” The shooter is dead, one rally attendee was killed and two other spectators were injured, the Secret Service said in a statement. The incident was being investigated as an assassination attempt.
The attack, by a shooter who law enforcement officials say was then killed by the Secret Service, was the first attempt to assassinate a president or presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981.
It comes amid a deeply polarized political atmosphere, just four months from the presidential election and days before Trump is to be officially named the Republican nominee at his party’s convention in Milwaukee.
“President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act,” spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement. “He is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility. More details will follow.”
Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., said after 8 p.m. that he spoke to his father on the phone and “he is in great spirits.”
President Joe Biden, who is running against Trump as the presumptive Democratic nominee this November, says he has been briefed but more details are needed before he can make a further statement.
“There’s no place in America for this type of violence,” Biden said in his remarks. “It’s sick.”
Suspect killed
Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger said in a phone interview the suspected gunman was dead and at least one rally attendee was killed.
Two officials spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.
They said the shooter was not an attendee at the rally and was engaged by members of the Secret Service counter-assault team and killed.
The heavily armed tactical team travels everywhere with the president and major party nominees and is meant to confront any active threats while other agents focus on safeguarding and evacuating the person at the centre of protection.
Chaotic scenes
Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, was showing off a chart of border crossing numbers during his last rally before the Republican National Convention opens on Monday when the shots began just after 6:10 p.m. ET.
It took two minutes from the moment of the first shot for Trump to be placed in a waiting SUV.
As Trump was talking, a popping sound was heard, and the former president put his right hand up to his right ear, as people in the stands behind him appeared to be shocked.
As the first pop rang out, Trump said, “Oh,” and grabbed his ear as two more pops could be heard, and he crouched down. More shots are heard then.
Someone could be heard saying near the microphone at Trump’s lectern, “Get down, get down, get down, get down!” as agents tackled the former president.
They piled atop him to shield him with their bodies, as is their training protocol, while other agents took up positions on the stage to search for the threat.
Screams were heard in the crowd of several thousand people.
Trump got to his feet moments later and could be seen reaching with his right hand toward his face. There appeared to be blood on his face.
He then pumped his fist in the air and appeared to mouth the word “Fight” to his crowd of supporters, prompting loud cheers and then chants of “USA. USA. USA.”