Former President Donald Trump was shot in the ear while he was onstage at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, July 13. The Secret Service rushed him off when they heard the gunshots and took him to a local medical facility where he received care. One spectator at the rally is dead, as well as the gunman, and two are injured.
Trump, 78, had just started his speech when the shots rang out at approximately 6:15 p.m. E.T. He grabbed his right ear, then brought his hand down to look at it before dropping to his knees. Secret Service rushed to the stage to surround him while screams from the audience flooded the space. After several moments, Trump was brought to his feet, and he seemed like he was shouting at the crowd and doing a fist-pump as he got escorted away in a car from the stage.
Secret Service Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement the suspected shooter fired multiple shots from an elevated position outside the rally venue and is now dead. The shooting is being investigated as an assassination attempt.
The FBI identified the shooter on Sunday morning as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, just outside Pittsburgh. Crooks’ political leanings were not immediately clear. Records show Crooks was registered as a Republican voter in Pennsylvania. However, federal campaign finance records also reveal that on January 20, 2021, the day President Joe Biden was inaugurated, he donated $15 to a progressive political action committee.
Later Saturday evening, Trump shared a message on Truth Social, discussing the incident and expressing gratitude to the Secret Service and law enforcement for their quick actions.
“I was shot with a bullet that 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. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!” He wrote
President Biden condemned violence during his brief remarks Saturday night after the incident.
“There’s no place in America for this kind of violence,” Biden said. “It’s sick. It’s sick. That’s one of the reasons why we have to unite this country. You cannot allow for this to be happening. We cannot be like this. We cannot condone this.”
Many other political figures on both sides have made statements.
Vice President Kamala Harris said, “Doug and I are relieved that he is not seriously injured. We are praying for him, his family, and all those who have been injured and impacted by this senseless shooting.Violence such as this has no place in our nation. We must all condemn this abhorrent act and do our part to ensure that it does not lead to more violence.”
Rep. Nancy Pelosi posted on ‘X,’ “As one whose family has been the victim of political violence, I know firsthand that political violence of any kind has no place in our society. I thank God that former President Trump is safe. As we learn more details about this horrifying incident, let us pray that all those in attendance at the former President’s rally today are unharmed.” bu
Sen. J.D. Vance (R., Ohio) tweeted, “Today is not just some isolated incident. The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”
Trump is scheduled to attend the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this coming week.
