USA: Former President Donald Trump Shot at Election Rally
Multiple shots were fired at former US President Donald Trump in an alleged assassination attempt during his electoral campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump sustained an ear injury.
The next Presidential elections in the United States of America are scheduled for 5th November 2024. In this election, the US will elect its next President and Vice President. The two major candidates are the current president, Joe Biden, and the former president, Donald Trump.
Like in our Indian Lok Sabha elections, both presidential candidates, Biden and Trump, and their party members are campaigning hard to win the upcoming elections.
On 13th July 2024, Trump held a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. While he was giving a speech to the crowd, multiple shots were fired at him.
The entire incident was captured live by news channels and the public on their phones. In the video, multiple shot-like sounds are heard, and Trump stops mid-sentence. He clutches his right ear and sees blood on his hand.
More shots are fired, and Trump bows down, contracting his body to his right side, and drops to the ground. The crowd starts shouting and crouching to protect themselves.
US Secret Service officers and Trump’s bodyguards immediately rushed onto the stage and covered him from all sides. They waited for Trump's car to come near the stage and then escorted him to his car.
During this, Trump was seen bleeding from his right ear with blood flowing down his right cheek. As soon as the crowd saw Trump, they started chanting his name and shouting “Fight! Fight! Fight!” and "Make America Great Again." Trump responded by raising his fist toward the crowd multiple times despite being injured. He was then taken to the nearest medical facility for treatment.
Reports say two shooters fired at Trump. One shooter was in the crowd at the rally and was shot by a US Secret Service agent. A local doctor and Trump supporter saw a man, allegedly the shooter, get shot from behind and fall. This shooter is in serious condition. The other shooter fired from the roof of a building overlooking the rally and was shot dead by US Secret Service snipers immediately after the firing.
Trump’s campaign communications head, Steven Cheung, announced, “President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act. He is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility. More details will follow.”
The Secret Service confirmed Trump’s well-being and revealed that one bullet pierced the upper part of Trump’s right ear. They identified the shooter on the roof as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old man from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, who had legally purchased the AR-15-style rifle used in the shooting.
Public records show that Crooks lived with his parents, who are licensed behavioural care counsellors. Crooks’ record showed no criminal or traffic violations or financial problems. However, records show that Crooks’ mother supported Biden, and his father supported Trump.
Trump’s campaign went into a “complete communications lockdown” after the incident. They announced that any campaign member or party worker who speaks with the press, even off the record, will be terminated immediately.
President Biden was informed about the incident and gave a statement in the evening. He criticized the attack and, when asked if it was an assassination attempt, said he could not answer without further information. Biden’s campaign pulled all negative advertising against Trump and rescheduled Biden’s campaign rally in Texas planned for 15th July 2024.
On 14th July 2024, the US Secret Service found potential explosives and bomb-making materials in Crooks’ car. They spoke to Crooks’ former school friends. One friend said Crooks was very smart and liked playing video games. Another revealed that Crooks wore hunting and military clothes, stayed away from peers, and was considered a loner and outcast, often bullied on campus.
The incident is being investigated by the US FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), US Secret Service, and three senior US attorneys. The FBI is treating the incident as a terrorist attack and assassination attempt and is investigating if Crooks acted alone or had accomplices.
Trump announced that he will follow his campaign schedule as planned, with his next rally in Milwaukee on 16th July 2024. US media and citizens are questioning how a single man with a semi-automatic rifle managed to access a roof about 420 feet away from the stage.
Some believe Trump himself planned the incident to win the elections, while others think it was orchestrated by his political rivals. Missouri Secretary of State Valentina Gomez posted a video on X (Twitter), alleging that the security failure was intentional and that someone in Trump’s security detail is compromised.
Many are praising Trump for his courage during the attack. One X (Twitter) user wrote, “No panic. No crawling on his knees to safety. The man stands up, faces the crowd, and yells 'Fight.’”
Do you think the assassination attempt on Trump was planned by him to win the elections? Share your thoughts in the comments.
