Former President Donald Trump was rushed off stage—apparently bleeding from his ear—after being shot at a political rally in Butler, Pa., which law enforcement told the Associated Press is being investigated as an assassination attempt.
The president lifted his fist as Secret Service agents walked him off stage. The Butler County district attorney Richard Goldinger told the AP that the shooter was dead and another attendee of the rally was killed.
The FBI identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, from Bethel Park, a southern suburb of Pittsburgh (Butler is a northern suburb), on Sunday as the “subject involved” in the shooting.
“I want to thank the U.S. Secret Service, and all of law enforcement, for their rapid response on the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pa.,” Trump stated several hours after the shooting. “Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured.”
“It is incredible that such an act can take place in our country. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead. I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear,” Trump added. “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,” the president said. “God bless America!”
“President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act,” said Steven Cheung, a spokesman for the president’s campaign, earlier in the evening. “He is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility.”
David McCormick, a Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, told Politico that he was sitting in the front row at the event, and someone appeared to be shot behind him.
“All the sudden shots started to crack, someone behind me appears to have been shot,” McCormick told the publication. “There’s lots of blood, and then the Secret Service were all over President Trump.”
Live video footage of the event appeared to show Trump clutch his ear mid-sentence as pop sounds could be heard and Secret Service agents rushed on stage to protect him.
‘Get down!’
Secret Service agents appeared to yell “get down” repeatedly as they rushed to the stage with more apparent shots ringing out. Someone picked up by the microphone on stage or in a live feed and said, “What are we doing?”
Secret Service agents appeared to say, “Are you ready? On ‘move.’ Move!” Before anyone moved, soldiers with rifles and bulletproof vests came up on stage.
Someone said, “Shooter’s down. Good to move. We’re clear. We’re clear.”
One of the Secret Service ages said, “I’ve got you, sir,” as Trump appeared to say, “Let me get my shoes.” As he walked off, apparently on his own, Trump raised a fist above the agents protecting him, to applause, cheering and chants of “USA.”
As he was taken into a black SUV, the former president again raised a fist.
“God protected President Trump,” wrote Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).
“Extraordinary,” wrote Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). “God bless President Trump.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) stated, “I am horrified by what happened at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania and relieved that former president Trump is safe. Political violence has no place in our country.”
“This should horrify every freedom-loving American. Violence against presidential candidates must never be normalized,” wrote Nikki Haley, a member of Trump’s former administration and a former candidate for president. “We are lifting up Donald Trump, the entire Trump family and all in attendance in prayer.”
A pool reporter asked U.S. President Joe Biden if he had been briefed on Trump being shot. ” He responded, ‘no,'” per the pool report. “He then didn’t respond to a question about how his meeting with leader Schumer went.”
A subsequent pool report noted that “the president has received an initial briefing on the incident at former president Trump’s rally.”
‘No place for political violence’
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, wrote that “violence targeted at any political party or political leader is absolutely unacceptable. It has no place in Pennsylvania or the United States.”
Shapiro said that he has been briefed on the situation and that the state police are on the scene “working with our federal and local partners.”
“Lori and I are praying for President Trump, the Secret Service officers who protected him, those attending the event and all of the first responders still on the scene,” he added.
The Republican Jewish Coalition referred to the “attempted assassination of President Donald Trump” as “an abomination.”
“Violence has absolutely no place in our politics,” the RJC said.
“We pray for refuah shlemah—a complete recovery and healing—for President Trump. We know President Trump will return stronger and more determined than ever to Make America Great Again.”
Shortly before midnight on Saturday night, Mark Mellman, president and CEO of Democratic Majority for Israel, echoed Bide’s remarks that there is no place for that sort of violence in the country.
“Democratic Majority for Israel condemns this shooting in the strongest possible terms. We wish former President Trump and the others injured in this shooting a swift and full recovery and we extend heartfelt condolences to the family of the rally attendee killed by the shooter,” Mellman stataed. “We urge all Americans to work together toward peace and security.”
“There is no place for political violence of any kind in America, and I condemn whoever is responsible for this attack,” stated Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.), ranking member of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement and Intelligence. “I urge everyone to remain calm.”
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who is a U.S. Senate candidate, wrote that he was “horrified by this apparent assassination attempt. There is no place for political violence in our democracy. Absolutely none.”
“Grateful for the swift response by law enforcement and Secret Service,” he added. “Wishing President Trump a swift recovery.”
In a statement posted on Sunday to his Truth social media platform, Trump called for unity, while paying tribute to the rallygoer who was killed in the attack and looking ahead to his speech at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week.
“Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers yesterday, as it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening,” Trump wrote.
“We will fear not, but instead remain resilient in our faith and defiant in the face of wickedness. Our love goes out to the other victims and their families,” he added. “We pray for the recovery of those who were wounded, and hold in our hearts the memory of the citizen who was so horribly killed.”
“In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our true character as Americans, remaining strong and determined, and not allowing evil to win,” Trump said. “I truly love our country, and love you all, and look forward to speaking to our great nation this week from Wisconsin.”
The man who was killed during the rally was Corey Comperatore, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced on Sunday afternoon.
Comperatore, 50, was a former volunteer fire chief from the Buffalo Township who loved his family, Shapiro said. “Corey died a hero. Corey dove on his family to protect them last night,” the governor added.
Comperatore’s sister, Dawn Comperatore Schafer, said in a Facebook post on Sunday that her brother died after he took a bullet for his family.
“My baby brother just turned 50 and had so much life left to experience. Hatred has no limits and love has no bounds,” the victim’s sister wrote in the post. “He was a hero that shielded his daughters. His wife and girls just lived through the unthinkable and unimaginable.”