10:45 PM UPDATE
Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania identified as the shooter.
An AR-style rifle was recovered at the scene. It was reportedly purchased by Crooks’ father at least six months ago. Explosive material was found in his car and in his residence. Crooks was registered as a Republican voter when he was 18. He gave $15 to Progressive Turnout Project, a Democratic-aligned political action committee, on Inauguration Day in January 2021, when he was 17. Crooks’ father is registered to vote as a Libertarian and his mother is registered as a Democrat.
US President Joe Biden said “everybody must condemn” the shooting at former President Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night. Speaking from Delaware, he said: “The bottom line is, the Trump rally … should have been able to be conducted peacefully without any problem. But the idea that there’s political violence or violence in America like this is just unheard of, is just not appropriate.” He added: “Everybody must condemn it. Everybody.”
Trump, who was injured in the shooting and had blood on the right side of his face, dropped to the ground. Secret Service agents rushed to protect him. They surrounded him and rushed him away.
The Secret Service said Trump is safe and under protective measures.
Media reports said that a gunman and one audience member were dead after the shooting. Two audience members were seriously injured.
Later in the day, police told the media that they had tentatively identified the shooter but were trying to confirm his identity as he did not have ID. They were trying to identify him by means of biometrics and DNA.
The shooter was outside of the venue.
One person on X asked the Secret Service: “How does a rooftop with a direct line of sight to the podium have no law enforcement presence?”
BBC reported that one witness told them: “We noticed the guy bear-crawling up the roof of the building beside us, 50ft away. He had a rifle, we could clearly see a rifle.”
He added: “We’re pointing at him, the police are down there running around on the ground, we’re like ‘Hey man, there’s a guy on the roof with a rifle’… and the police did not know what was going on.”
The man said he tried to alert the authorities for three to four minutes, but he thinks they probably could not see the gunman because of the slope of the roof.
BBC reported that the man later saw the agents shoot the gunman: “They crawled up on the roof, they had their guns pointed at him, made sure he was dead. He was dead, and that was it – it was over.”
The FBI said it “will continue to work jointly with the U.S. Secret Service as the investigation moves forward.”
Later it issued another statement: “The FBI has assumed the role of the lead federal law enforcement agency in the investigation of the incident involving former President Donald Trump that occurred earlier today in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“Special agents of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office responded immediately, to include crisis response team members and evidence response technicians.
“We will continue to support this investigation with the full resources of the FBI, alongside our partners at the U.S. Secret Service and state and local law enforcement. Anyone with information that may assist with the investigation is asked to call our tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted: “I’m sickened by the shooting at former President Trump. It cannot be overstated — political violence is never acceptable. My thoughts are with former President Trump, those at the event, and all Americans.”
Trump said in his Truth Social post: “I want to thank The United States Secret Service, and all of Law Enforcement, for their rapid response on the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania. Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the Rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured. It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead. 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 then what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
MORE TO COME
