Former President Trump was removed from the stage by the Secret Service at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where gunfire rang out Saturday, leaving at least one person dead, two attendees wounded and the suspected shooter dead.
Gunfire erupted shortly after Trump began speaking at the rally on the grounds of the Butler Farm Show.
The U.S. Secret Service said in a news release that the suspected gunman fired from an “elevated position” and killed at least one person and “seriously injured” two others.
An elite FBI team is en route to Butler to conduct an “assassination investigation,” a Secret Service source told Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson.
TRUMP RETURNS TO PENNSYLVANIA FOR PRE-CONVENTION RALLY IN SWING STATE
Former President Trump, Republican presidential candidate, is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents during a campaign rally Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The former president had barely begun to inflame the crowd when five shots were heard and he collapsed, surrounded by secret service agents.
“And then the worst president in the history of our country took office. And look what happened to our country. Probably 20 million people [came in illegally]. And you know, this is a little old, this chart… this chart is a few months old. And if you really want to see something that sad, look at what happened…” Trump said before gunshots rang out.
Former President Trump, Republican presidential candidate, is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents during a campaign rally Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
As they led him away, with what appeared to be blood on his cheek and right ear, he raised his arms in defiance.
Trump was heard telling his security team, “Let me get my shoes,” as they pulled him to his feet and pushed him off stage.
Former president hospitalized
Donald Trump Jr. confirmed to Fox News Digital that his father is in “good spirits” as he remains under observation at an area hospital, saying the presumptive Republican nominee will “never stop fighting to save America.”
“I just got off the phone with my dad, and he’s in great spirits,” Trump Jr. said. “He’s never going to stop fighting to save America, no matter what the radical left throws at him.”
Former President Donald Trump, Republican presidential candidate, is rushed off stage by U.S. Secret Service agents after being grazed by a bullet during a rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he was hit by a bullet that “pierced the upper part of my right ear.”
“I want to thank the U.S. Secret Service and all law enforcement agencies for their quick response to the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania,” he said. “I especially want to offer my condolences to the family of the person killed at the rally, as well as the family of another person who was seriously injured.”
I knew right away that something was wrong…
“It is unbelievable that something like this could happen in our country. We don’t know anything at this point about the shooter, who is now deceased. I was hit by a bullet that went through my right ear,” he said. “I knew immediately that something was wrong, I heard a whistling sound, gunshots, and I immediately felt the bullet go through my skin. There was a lot of bleeding, so I knew what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
Former President Trump, Republican presidential candidate, is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents during a campaign rally Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Former President Trump, Republican presidential candidate, is removed from the stage during a rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
In a statement, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said they had “implemented protective measures.”
“An incident occurred on the evening of July 13 at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania,” Guglielmi said. “The Secret Service has protective measures in place and the former president is safe. This is now an ongoing Secret Service investigation and more information will be released as it becomes available.”
Former President Trump, Republican presidential candidate, is removed from the stage during a rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
In a statement, Trump’s communications director Steven Cheung said the former president is “doing well.”
“President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their swift response to this heinous act,” Cheung said. “He is doing well and is being evaluated at a local medical facility.”
Former President Donald Trump, Republican presidential candidate, raises his fist as he is rushed into a car during a rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump is assisted by security personnel after gunshots rang out during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Reuters/Brendan McDermid)
In a statement, President Biden said he had been informed of the incident and was “praying for him and his family.”
“I have been informed of the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania. I am pleased to hear that he is safe and doing well. I am praying for him and his family and all those who were at the rally as we await further information,” Biden said.
President Joe Biden speaks, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, following reports of gunfire at Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
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Biden added that there was “no place for this kind of violence in America.”
“Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety,” he said. “There is no place for this kind of violence in America. We must come together as a nation to condemn it.”
