The shooter who fired at least eight shots at Donald Trump and injured him is dead, with a rallygoer also killed in Saturday’s appalling bloodbath.
Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger confirmed the two deaths after the atrocity at a Trump rally at Butler Farm Show Grounds in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Neither the identity of the shooter nor the bystander who also died has been released.
The Secret Service’s counter sniper team took out the shooter. They said the male shooter began firing from an elevated position outside the rally grounds before being killed. Two other people were critically-injured by the gunfire.
Images on social media show the dead gunman laying on top of a beige building about 300 feet north of the stage where Trump was standing when he was shot.
The gunman opened fire from AGR International, a plastic container manufacturing facility.
Unverified video circulating on social media showed a body – that appeared to be clad in camo gear – lying on top of a beige-colored building outside the farm grounds.
Trump was mid-sentence, saying ‘Take a look at what happened’ when the shots began to ring out shortly before 6pm ET, with terrified screams filling the air as he and onlookers dived to the ground.
In the moments after the shooting, voices could be heard screaming ‘The shooter is down’ as Trump dived to the floor and frightened rallygoers screamed with fear.
The 45th president was seen ducking down with blood coming from his ear. Trump has since issued a statement on TruthSocial detailing what happened to him.
He wrote: ‘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 what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!’
It had previously been suggested that Trump was struck and injured by a piece of a shattered teleprompter.
Seconds later, the blood-covered lawmaker pumped his fist in the air to indicate that he was fine, while surrounded by Secret Service agents, before being led away.
Trump could also be heard repeatedly asking: ‘Let me get my shoes.’
Realizing their hero was uninjured and that the immediate danger appeared to have passed, the crowd began chanting ‘USA, USA’ as he was rushed away and bundled into a Secret Service SUV.
Team Trump says the former president is ‘fine’ and that further updates on his condition would follow soon.
A medical helicopter was seen taking off from the rally site 19 minutes after the shooting and is believed to be headed for a hospital in nearby Pittsburgh, The New York Times reported.
It is unclear if that was carrying the bystander who died, or Trump himself.
A blood-covered ER doctor told CBS News that he had treated the dead bystander and that they had suffered severe injuries.
The doctor, who did not give his name, said: ‘I heard the shots. I thought it was firecrackers begin with.
‘Somebody over there was screaming ‘he’s been shot he’s been shot.
‘So I made my way over. I said I’m an emergency department physician. Let me help you.’
‘The guy had spun around was jammed between the benches and a head shot here. There’s lots of blood and he had brain matter.
‘So I got him together so I got people there really helpful. I did CPR chest compressions as well.’
A medical helicopter could be heard coming in to land as the doctor spoke and he indicated that he believed the aircraft was there for the bystander he’d just treated.
Donald Trump Jr has since said that his father is in ‘good spirits’ and shared a tweet of his bloodied father with his fist raised captioned: ‘He will never stop fighting to Save America.’
Dramatic footage that has swept the world showed popping sounds ring out as the 2024 presidential hopeful was on stage addressing a large crowd of supporters.
Trump could be seen ducking as screams rang out and fans in MAGA t-shirts stood behind him threw themselves to the ground.
It is unclear where the shooter fired the shots from, or what kind of weapon was used. Secret Service agents face urgent questions about how they were able to put a former president – who is current favorite to be 47th president – face mortal peril.
President Biden says he is ‘grateful to hear that (Trump) is safe and doing well’ and that he is ‘praying’ for the Trumps while awaiting further information.
Biden added: ‘There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.’
The president has since appeared live on TV to further condemn the shooting, branding it ‘sick’.
Vice President Kamala Harris is being briefed on the shooting.
Former President Barack Obama has also condemned the shooting, saying: ‘There is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy.
‘Although we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn’t seriously hurt, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics.
‘Michelle and I are wishing him a quick recovery.’