Former United States President Donald Trump was struck by a bullet in the ear during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally on Saturday (Sunday morning in Manila) in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Analysts say the dramatic and chaotic event is likely to escalate political tensions ahead of the contentious American presidential election between Trump and the reelectionist Joe Biden.
The 78-year-old Republican candidate was hurried off the stage, blood streaking his face, after the shooting. The gunman and a bystander were killed, and two spectators were critically injured.
Trump, raising a defiant fist to the crowd as he was led to safety, later said, “I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear.”
President Biden, who is set to face Trump in the November election, called the incident “sick” and declared that “there is no place in America for this kind of violence.” Biden later spoke with Trump, according to the White House.
The FBI identified the gunman, who was shot dead, as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pa. His motive remains unclear.
The US Secret Service stated that the shooter “fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside the rally” before being “neutralized” by agents.
Unverified images appeared to show the assailant’s body lying on the sloped roof of a low building from which he had fired, sending Trump supporters into a panic.
The FBI confirmed at a press conference that the shooting was being investigated as “an assassination attempt against our former president, Donald Trump.”
Lone wolf
Authorities believe the shooter acted alone but have withheld further details. Butler police acknowledged that they had “responded to a number of reports of suspicious activity” prior to the shooting but provided no additional information.
Trump, wearing his signature red “Make America Great Again” cap, had just begun speaking at his final rally before the Republican National Convention when the shots rang out.
Grimacing and clutching his ear, blood visible on his face, Trump ducked as Secret Service agents swarmed the stage, quickly escorting him to a nearby vehicle.
“It is incredible that such an act can take place in our country,” Trump later posted on his Truth Social network, in remarks likely to inflame the already heated political climate.
“I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin,” Trump said. “Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening.”
Footage posted by his deputy communications director showed Trump walking unaided from his plane, though his injured ear was not visible. The New York Times reported that Trump would spend the night in New Jersey.
Police confirmed that a male spectator was killed and two adult males critically injured in the shooting. The attack reverberated globally, drawing condemnation from leaders in Britain, Israel, Japan and other nations.
Biden cut short a weekend trip to his Delaware beach house to return to Washington, where he will receive a briefing from security officials on Sunday morning, the White House said.
The incident has already exacerbated political tensions, with some Republicans blaming Biden and right-wing conspiracy theories proliferating on social media.
Biden blamed
J.D. Vance, a potential Trump vice presidential pick, claimed Biden’s “rhetoric” had “led directly” to the attack on Trump.
Trump’s campaign stated he would still attend the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, despite a precautionary hospital checkup.
The convention will now be overshadowed by the shooting, which caused panic and screams among the rally attendees.
“Let me get my shoes,” Trump was heard saying over the microphone as security agents helped him to his feet.
Turning back to the crowd, Trump repeatedly raised his fist and mouthed words that were not immediately clear, creating an iconic image.
Agents then escorted the former president into an SUV, where he continued to shake his fist. “We saw a lot of people go down, looking confused. I heard the shots,” said John Yeykal from Franklin, Pa., attending his first Trump rally.
Prominent political figures, including former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, condemned the attack and stressed that violence has no place in politics.
Billionaire Elon Musk quickly reacted by endorsing Trump.
The United States has a history of political violence. Presidents, former presidents and candidates have always required tight security.
President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 while riding in his motorcade. His brother Bobby Kennedy was shot dead in 1968. President Ronald Reagan survived an assassination attempt in 1981.