Trump was in the middle of delivering his rally speech – turned toward the right with his hands on his lectern – when the sound of multiple gunshots suddenly rang out at approximately 6:15 p.m. ET.
Trump grabbed his right ear and dropped to the ground as Secret Service agents told him to get down and rushed to the stage, protecting the former president while several more gunshots could be heard.
While Trump remained on the ground, there was one last round of shots and loud screams from the crowd. About 45 seconds after the former president was shot, agents were heard on the rally microphone saying, “Shooter’s down”.
“Are we good to move?” one agent asked.
“Are we clear?” asked another.
“We’re clear!” a Secret Service agent said as Trump was lifted to his feet, his face and ear bloodied.
The agents prepared to move Trump offstage into his nearby SUV, but he told them to wait. Trump lifted his fist in the air, prompting a loud cheer from the crowd at the rally, and he mouthed the word “fight” three times while pumping his fist. The crowd then chanted “USA!” as the former president was taken down the stairs by several agents and into his vehicle.
One of the rally attendees was killed in the shooting, and and two rally-goers were critically injured, according to the Secret Service. All of the victims were male, according to the FBI.
The shocking episode that threatened Trump’s life raises grave questions about security and how the former president was shot at, with lawmakers already calling for an investigation into the Secret Service’s handling of Saturday’s rally. The shooting comes right before Trump is set to accept the 2024 presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention this coming week.
Trump wrote on social media that he was shot and hit by a bullet in the “upper part of my right ear”.
The Secret Service has confirmed that the shooter fired multiple shots from an “elevated position” outside of the rally before he was killed by agents.
At a press conference just before midnight, the FBI stressed it considered the incident to be an assassination attempt. It also named Thomas Matthew Crooks as the gunman involved in the assassination attempt against Trump.
President Joe Biden also condemned the shooting, stressing it was “sick”, in remarks from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on Saturday evening. Biden stated in a statement that he’s “grateful” Trump is safe. The president also spoke with Trump after the shooting.
