The Federal Bureau of Investigation security officials have said that they have tentatively identified the shooter and are probing the possible motive of the shooter. Earlier, a report from CNN, citing sources, said that FBI has identified a 20-year-old Pennsylvania man as the suspected shooter at the Trump rally. Security officials also confirmed that it was an assassination attempt on the former president.
“At this time we are not prepared to identify who the shooter is, we are close to an identification,” Special Agent Kevin Rojek told a press conference. “We have no reason to believe that there is any other existing threat out there,” he said.
Donald Trump was shot in the ear during a campaign rally on Saturday in an assassination attempt, leaving the Republican presidential candidate’s face streaked with blood and prompting his security team to swarm him. Despite the chaos, Trump re-emerged and pumped his fist in the air. The Secret Service reported that the shooter was dead, one rally attendee was killed, and two other spectators were injured. The incident is being investigated as an assassination attempt, according to news reports.
Trump, 78, had just begun his speech when the shots were fired. He immediately grabbed his right ear with his hand, looked at it, and then dropped to his knees behind the podium. Secret Service agents quickly covered him. After about a minute, Trump stood up, his red “Make America Great Again” hat knocked off, and could be heard saying “wait, wait” before agents escorted him into a vehicle.
“I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear,” Trump later stated on his Truth Social platform. “Much bleeding took place.”
The shooter’s identity and motive remain unclear. Leading figures from both Republican and Democratic parties swiftly condemned the violence.
The Trump campaign reported that he was “doing well” and Bloomberg indicated he had been released from the hospital.
The shooting occurred less than four months before the November 5 election, where Trump faces a rematch against Democratic President Joe Biden. Most opinion polls, including those by Reuters/Ipsos, show the two candidates in a tight race.
In a statement, Biden said, “There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.” A White House official confirmed that Biden spoke with Trump following the shooting.