Donald Trump was involved in a shooting incident during a Saturday campaign rally, where he sustained an injury to his ear, prompting a swift response from security agents. The incident resulted in the death of the shooter, one attendee killed, and two others injured, as confirmed by the Secret Service.
Law enforcement officials disclosed that they had identified a suspected shooter but were not yet prepared to release further details or establish a motive.
Trump, aged 78, was beginning his speech when shots were fired. He momentarily took cover behind the podium after clutching his injured ear, before emerging with a fist pump and words of encouragement.
“I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear,” Trump later stated on his Truth Social platform, following the incident in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The shooting occurred just months before the upcoming election, where Trump is slated to face Democratic President Joe Biden in a closely contested race, according to various opinion polls.
Both Republicans and Democrats swiftly condemned the violence, with Biden emphasizing the need for national unity in his statement.
Republican U.S. Representative Ronny Jackson mentioned that his nephew was among those wounded at the rally.
The incident raised concerns regarding security protocols, given that the Secret Service provides lifetime protection to former presidents like Trump.
This marks the first shooting incident involving a U.S. president or major party candidate since the attempted assassination of Republican President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
Following the incident, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro confirmed Trump’s departure from Butler under the protection of the U.S. Secret Service and Pennsylvania State Police. Republican U.S. Representative Daniel Meuser informed CNN that Trump was en route to his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.