Trump safe after Pennsylvania rally shooting; gunman and a spectator dead, officials say

Former President Donald Trump said a bullet grazed his ear in a shooting at his campaign rally in western Pennsylvania, where the Secret Service says one rally attendee was killed and two other spectators injured on Saturday.

The shooter is dead and the scene has been contained, officials said. Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, is “fine” and received treatment at a local medical facility, according to his campaign.

The FBI has identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. A motive for the shooting, which the FBI is characterizing as an assassination attempt, is not clear.

Shots rang out around 6 p.m. while Trump was speaking on stage at his rally near Butler, Pennsylvania, located roughly 30 miles north of Pittsburgh. Trump appeared to briefly cover his ear before ducking onto the ground with Secret Service agents. Screams were heard from the crowd as the “pop” sounds rang out.

Secret Service agents then rushed Trump off the stage and into a car as he pumped his fist in the air. His ear appeared to be bleeding and there seemed to be blood strewn across his face.

The suspected shooter had fired multiple shots at the stage “from an elevated position outside of the rally venue,” Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement. Secret Service agents “neutralized the shooter, who is now deceased,” Guglielmi said.

In a Truth Social post published about three hours after the shooting, Trump said he 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,” he said. “Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening.”

Trump posted to Truth Social again early Sunday morning, saying in part: “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.”

Late Saturday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Trump had left the Butler area “under the protection of US Secret Service and with the assistance of the Pennsylvania State Police.”

The shooter used a semi-automatic rifle, based on what was found at the scene, three senior U.S. law enforcement officials told NBC News. State records show Crooks was a registered Republican. His one known political donation was to Act Blue, a Democratic-aligned group, for $15 in 2021, NBC News reported.

At a news conference Saturday evening, President Joe Biden condemned the shooting in forceful terms, calling it “sick.”

“We cannot allow for this to be happening. We cannot be like this. We cannot condone this,” he said. “The bottom line is the Trump rally … should have been able to be conducted peacefully and without any problem. … Everybody must condemn it.”

Biden and Trump spoke late Saturday night, the White House said. A White House official described the call as “good, short and respectful,” reported NBC News.

Biden said in a statement earlier that he was grateful to hear Trump is “safe and doing well.”

Vice President Kamala Harris also said she was relieved that Trump was not seriously injured. “We are praying for him, his family, and all those who have been injured and impacted by this senseless shooting,” she said in a statement.

A doctor at the rally who identified himself as Joseph told NBC News that he witnessed a man getting shot in the back of the head and falling to the bottom of the bleachers. The man appeared to have been instantly killed, he said, adding that a woman nearby also appeared to have been shot in the arm.

Shapiro, the Pennsylvania governor, said in a statement that Pennsylvania State Police are working with local and federal law enforcement.

“Violence targeted at any political party or political leader is absolutely unacceptable,” the Democratic governor said. “It has no place in Pennsylvania or the United States.”

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said his office is “in contact with those coordinating security planning” for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, which begins on Monday. In a joint statement hours after the shooting unfolded, Trump and the Republican National Committee said the convention would proceed.

Violent threats against public officials in the U.S. have been on the rise. Many Democratic and Republican officials similarly issued statements condemning political violence as news about the incident spread. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote on X that he is “horrified” by the incident and relieved that Trump is safe. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he is “praying for President Trump.”

Several Republican lawmakers explicitly blamed Biden and Democrats for the shooting in statements on social media before law enforcement officials had publicly identified the shooter and his motivation.

Hayley Miller and Shawn Cox contributed reporting.

This is a developing story check back for updates.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com