Here’s what we know about the shooting in Pennsylvania that injured former President Donald Trump on Saturday.
Where did it happen?
The shooting took place at a presidential campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a city in the western part of the state about 35 miles north of Pittsburgh.
What happened?
About six minutes into Trump’s speech, the former president could be seen clutching his ear after popping noises blared through the rally. Trump ducked to the ground as several Secret Service agents rushed to the stage and surrounded him on all sides. Screams from onlookers rang out as the scene unfolded.
Roughly a minute later, agents helped Trump get up from the ground and stand. He held his fist up to the crowd, prompting cheers from supporters. Several agents then rushed him off the stage and escorted him into a vehicle.
Blood could be seen on Trump’s ear and on the side of his face. He later said on his social media site, Truth Social, that “a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear.”
Trump was talking about President Joe Biden’s policies on immigration when shots were fired.
Is Trump alive?
Trump is safe, a spokesperson for the Secret Service wrote on X, and he is expected to survive.
Was anyone hurt?
Witnesses described hearing loud popping noises, with one person saying they saw someone who was shot in the back of the head and another person who said she saw someone “bleeding profusely.”
One spectator died and two others were critically wounded, Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Colonel George Bivens said.
All three are men, he said, adding that authorities have identified the victims but are not releasing their identities at this time.
None of the injured included police officers, Bivens said.
Other injuries were reported in the chaos that unfolded.
Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, said in a statement that his nephew was injured in the shooting. Jackson said his family was seated near Trump, and that after they heard shots, his nephew realized something had grazed and cut his neck.
He said his nephew’s injury was not serious and “he is doing well.”
Was it an assassination attempt? Which agencies are investigating?
Law enforcement is investigating the incident as an assassination attempt.
“This evening, we had what we’re calling an assassination attempt against our former president, Donald Trump,” said Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of FBI Pittsburgh field office.
The FBI said it is leading the investigation and that special agents from its Pittsburgh field office responded immediately. They are working alongside U.S. Secret Service, state and local law enforcement.
“We will continue to support this investigation with the full resources of the FBI, alongside our partners at the U.S. Secret Service and state and local law enforcement,” the FBI said in a statement. “Anyone with information that may assist with the investigation is asked to call our tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI.”
The House of Representatives will also be investigating the shooting, according to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., earlier said his committee would be investigating.
Who is the shooter? What was the motive?
The shooter is dead, Secret Service confirmed on X. The FBI identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.
It was not known whether the shooter was acting alone or in coordination with others. It is unknown what the shooter’s motive was.
“We do not currently have an identified motive, although our investigators are working tirelessly to attempt to identify what that motive was,” Rojek said.
There does not appear to be any evidence currently that the shooting had any link to a foreign actor, according to a U.S. official.
Where was the shooter? Did the shooter get past security?
Shots were fired from outside the security perimeter established by the Secret Service, three senior law enforcement officials told NBC News.
Bivens, the Pennsylvania State Police lieutenant colonel, said the building where the shooter was perched was located “some distance” away from the security perimeter.
The information clarifies whether and how a gunman could have gotten a firearm past security and gun-detecting magnetometers at the rally. It appears the shooter did not.
The shooter appears to have been on a nearby rooftop.
What have we heard from Trump?
Trump posted about the incident on Truth Social.
“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.
He expressed gratitude to the Secret Service and law enforcement for their quick response. He added, “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,” he wrote.
What have we heard from Trump’s family?
Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka Trump, condemned the attack in a statement on X, thanking people for their prayers. “I am grateful to the Secret Service and all the other law enforcement officers for their quick and decisive actions today,” she wrote. “I continue to pray for our country.”
“I love you Dad, today and always,” she added.
Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., said in a statement through his spokesperson that he has spoken to his father over the phone and that he is in “great spirits.” “He will never stop fighting to save America, no matter what the radical left throws at him,” Trump Jr. said
Their brother Eric Trump tweeted a picture of his father pumping his fist in the air after the shooting. “This is the fighter America needs!” the post read.
Has Biden responded?
Biden said that he spoke with Trump after the shooting, as well as with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Butler Mayor Bob Dandoy.
The president first addressed reporters about the shooting from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, about 90 minutes after it occurred.
“It’s sick. It’s sick. It’s one of the reasons we have to unite this country,” he said. “We cannot condone this.”
Biden said that it appeared Trump was doing well. Asked by a reporter whether he believed the scene was an assassination attempt, Biden said, “I have an opinion, but I don’t have all the facts.”
Biden added that he wanted more information before he commented further.
The president was made aware of the shooting after coming out of a Catholic mass he was attending in Delaware, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Campaigning has been put on a hold, an official said. The campaign will be “pausing all outbound communications and working to pull down our television ads as quickly as possible,” the official said.
The president is returning to Washington and is expected to get an updated briefing from the Department of Homeland Security and law enforcement officials Sunday morning.
Will Trump still be at the Republican National Convention?
The Republican National Convention — where Trump and his vice presidential pick will be officially nominated as the party’s candidates — is scheduled to take place in Milwaukee from Monday to Thursday.
Prior to Saturday’s shooting, Trump was expected to pick his running mate in coming days and set to give an acceptance speech Thursday evening.
Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee said in a joint statement on Saturday after that the former president “looks forward to joining you all in Milwaukee as we proceed with our convention to nominate him to serve as the 47th President of the United States.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
