US law enforcement said a gunman fired multiple shots from an "elevated position" outside the venue of former President Donald Trump's campaign rally on the evening of July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania, before when he was killed by US Secret Service agents.
The Secret Service statement read: “During former President Donald Trump's campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, at approximately 6:15 p.m. on July 13, a subject suspected of being the shooter fired multiple shots toward the field. staged from an elevated position outside the election campaign venue.
The statement continued: “Secret Service agents neutralized the shooter, the subject is deceased.”
Mr. Anthony Guglielmi, Communications Director of the Secret Service, emphasized in the statement: " The US Secret Service quickly responded with protective measures and former President Trump is still safe. One spectator died and two spectators died." "The incident is under investigation and the Secret Service has notified the FBI."
Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick, who sat in the front row of Donald Trump's campaign, said he saw "an attack on the former president" and that someone behind him had looks seriously injured.
McCormick told CNN on television that former President Donald Trump had just invited him on stage when about a minute later, he heard a series of gunshots - about 7 or 8 shots.
“Suddenly everything became chaos. The Secret Service immediately covered the former president, jumped on top of him and the crowd immediately fell to the ground," McCormick said.
The Senate candidate said he looked over his shoulder and "it was clear someone had been hit." People around the person tried to give first aid because it took several minutes for medical teams to reach them because of the crowd.
McCormick noted that he and all of the approximately 15,000 attendees in the crowd were screened with metal detectors before entering the campaign rally.
"All we know is that there were gunshots and then I jumped over the fence and put my hands over the head of the man who was bleeding profusely," said Rico Elmore, a speaker at the campaign. The injured person was “just a stranger” whom Elmore did not know. He himself was not harmed.
CNN quoted information from US law enforcement officials saying that the shooting is being investigated as a plot to assassinate Donald Trump .
Fox News reported that Donald Trump's election campaign and the Republican National Committee (RNC) issued a joint statement after the assassination.
“As announced this evening, President Trump is doing well and is grateful to law enforcement and first responders for their quick actions,” the joint statement read. President Trump looks forward to joining all of you in Milwaukee as we proceed with the convention to nominate him as the 47th President of the United States. As our party's nominee, President Trump will continue to share his vision of Making America Great Again.”
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden called the shooting at Donald Trump's campaign rally "sick", emphasizing: "There is no place in America for this type of violence."
