Former United States President Donald Trump was speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania today (Singapore time) when several gunshots rang out. He fell to the ground while Secret Service security staff swarmed the stage and rushed him out of the area.
Source: Sky News
In a later statement, Trump assured his supporters that he was safe.
Here are five things to know about the incident:
A Secret Service statement noted that Trump was “safe” following the incident, which is being investigated as a suspected assassination.
The gunman, who was not known to be an attendee at the rally, was shot and killed by a member of a Secret Service counter-assault team, according to sources who spoke to CBS News.
They added that the gunman was on an “elevated platform” on top of a shed, outside of the security perimeter set up by the Secret Service.
Following the shooting, the Secret Service personnel then “neutralised” the shooter.
One rally attendee was confirmed dead after a gunshot wound to the head, while two others were critically injured.
“This incident is currently under investigation, and the Secret Service has notified the FBI.”
Reports noted that “there was a lot of blood” at the scene, while an emergency room physician present at the rally administered first aid to the man who’d been shot.
An AP source said that law enforcement recovered an AR-style rifle at the scene.
Videos released of the moment when Trump was shot have gone viral.
After the shots rang out, Trump appeared to fall before Secret Service staff picked him up.
Source: Sky News
Flanked by Secret Service staff, Trump, who sported a bloodied ear, raised a triumphant fist to the sky as he was being escorted off.
Source: Sky News
A video of the scene showed that Trump was shouting: “Fight, fight”.
He continued to raise a fist in the air as he left.
Source: Sky News
At 8.52am Singapore time, Trump issued a statement via his social media website, Truth Social, thanking the Secret Service for their “rapid response” to the shooting.
He sent his condolences to the family of the person who had died as well as another person who was “badly injured”.
“It is incredible that such an act can take place in our country,” he said.
Trump added that currently, nothing is known about the shooter.
He noted that he was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of his 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 added: “Much bleeding took place, so I realised then what was happening.”
Following the shooting, the White House released a statement from President Joe Biden, condemning the shooting and noting that there is “no place for this kind of violence in America”.
“I have been briefed on the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania,” Biden said.
“I’m grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well. I’m praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information.”
He added that his wife Jill and himself are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety.
“We must unite as one nation to condemn (the shooting).”
Reports noted that Biden had emerged from a church following the shooting.
He was later reported to be at his home in Delaware with “some of his family”.
Biden’s campaign team confirmed that it is taking down television ads after the shooting.
Former president Barack Obama also wrote on X to condemn the shooting.
Source: @BarackObama on X
“Although we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn’t seriously hurt, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics,” he said.
He added that he and his wife Michelle Obama are wishing him a quick recovery.
Others who spoke out about the shooting included numerous country leaders. Among them were Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Japan prime minister Fumio Kishida.
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Featured image adapted from Sky News.
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