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Former President Donald Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday evening. The shocking incident left one attendee dead and two others critically injured, while the suspected gunman was killed by Secret Service agents.
As Trump addressed supporters from the stage shortly after 6 p.m., multiple gunshots rang out, sending the crowd into panic. Secret Service agents quickly surrounded Trump and rushed him off stage to safety. Trump later revealed he had been grazed by a bullet that "pierced the upper part of my right ear," causing bleeding but no serious injury.
"I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin," Trump wrote on social media after the attack. Despite the close call, Trump appeared defiant as he pumped his fist while being escorted to his vehicle.
The FBI identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. Authorities say Crooks fired from an elevated position outside the rally venue using an AR-style rifle. He was killed by Secret Service agents responding to the threat.
One male attendee was fatally shot during the chaos, while two other men suffered critical injuries. Their identities have not been released. Witnesses described a terrifying scene as shots echoed through the farm show grounds where thousands had gathered.
"Everybody went to their knees or their prone position, because we all knew, everyone becoming aware of the fact this was gunfire," said Dave McCormick, a Republican Senate candidate who was on stage near Trump.
The assassination attempt on a major presidential candidate is the most serious such incident since John Hinckley Jr. shot President Ronald Reagan in 1981. It has raised urgent questions about security protocols and the increasingly volatile political climate less than four months before the presidential election.
President Joe Biden condemned the attack, stating "There's no place in America for this type of violence. It's sick." He later spoke with Trump by phone. Leaders from both parties echoed calls for unity and an end to political violence.
As the Republican National Convention kicks off Monday in Milwaukee, the attack is likely to cast a shadow over proceedings and may alter security plans. Trump is expected to accept his party's nomination for a third consecutive time later in the week.
The FBI is leading the investigation into the shooting, which they are treating as an attempted assassination. Questions remain about how the gunman was able to get so close to Trump and fire multiple shots before being neutralized.
As the country grapples with yet another act of political violence, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the security challenges facing candidates in a deeply divided nation. With tensions already high heading into the general election, leaders are calling for calm and civility while authorities work to uncover the full circumstances behind this brazen attack.
