At his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night, bullets were fired, and former president Donald Trump was hurried offstage. Trump claimed on social media that a bullet had punctured the upper portion of his right ear, leaving him hurt.
Trump was examined at a nearby hospital before departing a few hours later, according to the Secret Service, who claims that he is now safe. Robert Costa of CBS News was informed by Trump Jr. that his father is “doing fine.”
Two spectators suffered significant injuries, and the gunman and an audience member were confirmed deceased by the US Secret Service. The victims of the shooting, according to state police, were all men; their names were not disclosed.
“U.S. Secret Service personnel neutralised the shooter, who is now deceased,” according to the agency. The Secret Service hurried to the stage, and reporters heard multiple gunshots. In a video seized by CBS News, Trump can be seen stroking his ear before squatting down.
He had some blood on his face. A motorcade was dispatched to remove Trump. As he climbed inside the SUV, he raised a fist.
The FBI named the gunman as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, which is a small town west of Pittsburgh, in a statement released early on Sunday morning.
The FBI Pittsburgh office’s special agent in charge, Kevin Rojek, declined to comment on a potential motive during a late-night news conference on Saturday night, but he did state that the incident is being looked into as a potential “assassination.” With support from state and local agencies as well as the Secret Service, the FBI is in charge of the investigation.
According to law enforcement officials who spoke with CBS News, the guy was firing an AR-style rifle from 200 to 300 feet away. According to law enforcement authorities, the gunman was perched atop a shed beyond the protective perimeter established by the Secret Service.
Rojek referred to the gunman’s ability to fire multiple shots as “surprising”. He wouldn’t comment when reporters asked him about the specifics of the incident or the FBI’s investigation. He said that “there was identification of suspicious packages around where the shooter was, and so we deployed, in an abundance of caution, bomb assets, to make sure those were cleared for investigators.” If any such packages were discovered, he did not indicate.
“Right now, we’re tracking down all leads, and doing all interviews, and tracking anything that we can regarding suspicious locations, vehicles … that’s all related to this event, but I can’t confirm or deny anything beyond that,” Rojek stated. In reference to the Secret Service, Pennsylvania State Police Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens stated, “It is extremely difficult to have a venue open to the public, and to secure that against any possible threat, against a very determined attacker.
from the stage, at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024.
That’s a huge lift to try and do it.” Saturday night’s news conference was attended by no Secret Service representatives.
“Secret Service has implemented protective measures and the former President is safe,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement earlier in the evening. In a follow-up release, the organisation provided more information:
“On July 13, at around 6:15 p.m., during a former president Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a man suspected of carrying a gun opened firing towards the stage from a raised spot outside the event space. The gunman was neutralised by US Secret Service agents, and he is now no longer alive. Former President Trump is secure because the US Secret Service acted swiftly to put safety measures in place.
Two spectators suffered serious injuries, and one spectator lost their life. Investigations are being conducted into this incident. and the FBI has been informed by the Secret Service.”
“President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act,” the Trump campaign said in a statement. He is being examined at a nearby medical centre and is doing great.” Later on Saturday night, the hospital released him.
In a Truth Social post Trump clarified what transpired and detailed his injuries on Saturday night: “I would want to express my gratitude to the US Secret Service and the whole law enforcement community for their prompt action in responding to the recent shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania. Above all, I would want to offer my sympathies to the family of the rally participant who was killed as well as the family of another individual who was seriously hurt.
That such an act can occur in our nation is astounding. Regarding the gunman, who is now deceased, nothing is known at this moment. One of the bullets that was discharged into me went through the top portion of my right ear. As soon as I heard bullets, felt the bullet ripping through my skin, and heard a whizzing sound, I knew something was wrong. I became aware of what was going on when there was a lot of blood. BLESSED BE AMERICA!”
Photographer Doug Mills of the New York Times caught the moment a bullet passed Trump’s head during his speech at the event.
While seeing Trump speak from backstage, Representative Mike Kelley of Pennsylvania told CBS News, “I think a lady who was next to me was hit, other people were hit.”
Before the shooting began, multiple witnesses told CBS Pittsburgh reporters they saw the gunman on the roof and attempted to call the police. “I was about five feet away from him, like I was within sight distance, like I was so close,” said Madison Brooks, another witness, to CBS News. “All of a sudden, I hear these four shots and everybody is screaming ‘drop,’ and you can see the blood like splatter on his face.” All the Secret Service does is block him. It was really rather frightening.”
Jake Rosen, a campaign reporter for CBS News, spoke with a blood-stained eyewitness who claimed to be an emergency room doctor who had given CPR to a patient with a head wound. “I heard gunfire. Initially, I assumed it was firecrackers,” he remarked. “He’s been shot, someone was screaming over there.
Someone shot him. I then moved over. I’m a doctor in the emergency room, I said. Allow me to assist you. The man was wedged between the benches and had spun around. Here, he got a head shot. He has brain matter there, and there’s a lot of blood.”
The man added that the victim’s chopper was on its way. A medivac helicopter touched down at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, according to CBS Pittsburgh reporter Ricky Sayer, and the patient was taken to the hospital right away. It is unknown who the person is or what their situation is. A transport chopper touched down shortly after a few police cars were spotted outside the hospital. This came after a police-light-equipped black SUV pulled up beside the helipad.
Two gravely injured individuals were being treated, the hospital later confirmed.
