What is known about the assassination attempt on Trump?

Former US President Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt. The attack took place shortly before the Republican Nominating Convention for the presidential nomination. What happened – what is the current situation?

Former US President Donald Trump was assassinated at a campaign event shortly before the Republican Party’s nominating convention. Trump’s ear was injured. The suspected attacker and a bystander were killed.

How did the crime happen?

The incident occurred at the start of a campaign rally in the small town of Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump began his speech at 6:08 p.m. local time (12:08 a.m. CEST).

Trump’s speech was interrupted by four gunshots. The former president initially hid behind the lectern while security officers rushed to him and shielded him. The rally participants shouted and threw themselves on the ground.

Trump stood back up surrounded by security officers, blood visible from his right ear. “get down!” Trump grabbed his right ear as he shouted repeatedly. A fifth and sixth shot rang out within four seconds before being fired and additional security officers rushed to the stage. Other Trump supporters were also hit by the shootings. 17 seconds after the first shots, the final loud bang was heard.

22 seconds after the first shots were fired, three heavily armed security officers escorted Trump from the stage to his car. Secret Service agents gave instructions before lifting a shocked Trump off the stage.

A minute after the incident, Trump was again seen being shielded by security forces. Another 13 seconds passed before Trump raised his fist to the cheering crowd. As the former president was brought down from the stage, the audience chanted “America!” They chanted.

The Secret Service said the attacker “fired several times from an elevated position” outside the gathering area. The shooter was later “neutralized”.

Online portal TMZ published a video which allegedly shows the suspected shooter. The video shows a man armed with a gun lying on his stomach on the roof.

Who is the accused?

The FBI identified the suspect as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Pennsylvania. Crooks was killed by security forces shortly after attempting to kill Trump.

According to investigators, Crooks is from Bethel Park, about 70 kilometers south of Butler, where the campaign event took place.

Is there already any information about the motive for the crime?

According to the FBI, Crooks’ motive is still unclear. The suspected attacker was registered as a member of the opposition Republican Party – Trump’s party – on the voter register.

When he was 17, Crooks donated $15 to a political group that raised money for left-wing politicians and President Joe Biden’s Democratic Party representatives, according to Election Commission records. Crooks may have cast his first vote in the presidential election on November 5.

The suspected attacker’s father, Matthew Crooks, told CNN he’s trying to figure out what happened. She wanted to talk about her son only after speaking with investigators.

According to media reports, none of Crooks’ online posts on social networks could be identified. Meta did not respond to questions from Reuters about whether messages or reports attributed to the attack had been removed because of their content.

What was the situation like just before the attack?

Several witnesses said they saw the gunman before the attack and alerted authorities. Ryan Knight, a Trump supporter, said he saw the attacker in a building outside the event.

Local police said they “responded to several reports of suspicious activity,” but did not immediately provide further details. According to US media, the attacker was armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.

Are there other victims?

According to officials, in addition to the suspected shooter, one bystander also died and two others were critically injured.

Two eyewitnesses told US media they saw a man shot in the head. “The person next to me was shot in the head and died instantly. Another woman looked like she was hit in the forearm or hand,” an onlooker told NBC News.

A second eyewitness, who said he was an emergency doctor, helped another injured person. He helped a man trapped between benches and shot in the head.

What are the political reactions?

After the crime, the Trump team announced that the former president was doing well. On his online site Truth Social, Trump explained the incident at 8:42 p.m. local time: “A bullet grazed me above my right ear.”

He knew immediately, “something was wrong, because I heard a noise, shots, and immediately felt the bullet piercing the skin,” he said, describing the moment after the footage.

The White House said President Joe Biden received an initial briefing on the incident at 6:50 p.m. Biden said there was “no place for this kind of violence” in America. “This is sick,” the president told reporters in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, in his home state of the alleged perpetrator.

Just before 10:30 p.m. local time, the White House announced that Biden had spoken with Trump by phone and would return to Washington soon.

How is an attack classified?

The FBI wondered how much freedom the shooter had. It was “surprising” the shooter fired so many shots, Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek of the FBI’s office in Pittsburgh admitted to reporters. All the details of what happened will come out during the investigation.

Asked by reporters if law enforcement officials realized a shooter was on the roof when the shots were fired, Rojek replied: “That’s our assessment at this point.” There were no concrete signs of a threat prior to the incident.

Pennsylvania State Police said the Secret Service was responsible for monitoring the location. George Bivens of the state police referred questions about whether something about the site made it more difficult to secure the rally site to the Secret Service, whose representatives were not present at the news event.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Trump is under the protection of the Secret Service — backed by the Pennsylvania State Police. Bivens said he didn’t want to speculate about “how close” Trump is.

How are investigations proceeding?

In the accused’s hometown, the investigation was in full swing hours after the shooting. Dozens of police vehicles were in front of the home listed as Crook’s home on the voter list, USA Today reported.

Explosive ordnance disposal experts are also on duty. The area around the residence was cordoned off with yellow police tape. The FAA has closed Bethel Park’s airspace for “special safety reasons.”