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By Jill Colvin, Julie Carr Smyth, Colleen Long, Eric Tucker, Michael Balsamo and Michelle L. Price
PENNSYLVANIA (AP) — Law enforcement officials say Donald Trump was apparently targeted for assassination during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. The former president, whose ear was bloodied from a gunshot wound, was quickly led away by Secret Service agents and his campaign declared him “OK.”
Local prosecutors said the suspected attacker and at least one person who attended the event died. The Secret Service said two bystanders were seriously injured.
About two and a half hours after the attack, Trump posted on his “Truth Made In” social network, detailing that a bullet “pierced the top of my right ear.”
“I knew immediately something was wrong because I heard a buzz and a gunshot and immediately felt the bullet go through my skin,” he told the publication. “There was a lot of blood and then I realized what was happening.”
The attack, carried out by a single assailant who was later killed by the Secret Service, was the first assassination attempt on a president or presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981, according to law enforcement officials. It came just four months before the presidential election and days before Trump was formally named the Republican nominee at the Republican National Convention.
Trump’s aides reported Saturday evening that the convention would not be canceled and that Trump “looks forward to being in Milwaukee with all of you.”
“President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick response during this heinous act,” spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement. “He is doing well and is being evaluated at a local medical center. Additional details will be provided later.”
The Secret Service explained that the suspected attacker opened fire from “an elevated position outside a campaign event location.” The agency added that Trump is “safe and is being evaluated.”
“There is no place in America for this kind of violence,” said President Joe Biden, who is running against Trump for the Democratic nomination. “It’s sick. It’s sick.”
Two officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation said the attacker was not at the rally and was killed by Secret Service agents.
Officials said the gunman confronted members of the U.S. Secret Service’s counter-terrorism team, a heavily armed tactical team that travels with the president and leading candidates and is tasked with handling any active threats while other officers focus on protecting and evacuating people at the protection center.
Authorities recovered an AR-style rifle at the scene, according to a third person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.
It was not immediately clear whether Trump was shot or injured when police wrestled him to the ground.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who oversees the Secret Service, said officials were committed to the Biden and Trump campaigns and “taking every possible step to ensure their safety.”
English:
Shootings Donald Trumpof Rally in Butler, Pennsylvania Under investigation Assassination attempt Law enforcement officials say it’s a holdover from the former president and presumptive Republican nominee.
One gunman was killed and one attendee was killed. Two attendees were seriously injured. Trump’s campaign said he was “safe and sound” after being quickly removed from the stage and was being examined at a local medical facility.
Video: AP
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