On the heels of an apparent attempt to kill him, former President Donald Trump called Sunday for unity and resilience as shocked leaders across the political divide recoiled from the shooting that left him wounded but 91裸聊视频渇ine91裸聊视频� and the gunman and a rally-goer dead.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee said the upper part of his right ear was pierced in the shooting. His aides said he was in 91裸聊视频済reat spirits91裸聊视频� and doing well.
91裸聊视频淚 knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin,91裸聊视频� he wrote on his social media site. 91裸聊视频淢uch bleeding took place.91裸聊视频�
In a subsequent post Sunday, Trump said 91裸聊视频渋t was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淚n this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win,91裸聊视频� his post said.
The FBI early Sunday identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as it pressed its investigation. An FBI official said investigators had not yet determined a motive.
Secret Service agents fatally shot Crooks. The gunman attacked from an elevated position outside the rally venue at a farm show in Butler, the agency said.
One attendee was killed, and two spectators were critically wounded, authorities said. All were identified as men.
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Law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that bomb-making materials were found inside the vehicle of the man suspected in the Trump rally shooting. There were also bomb-making materials found at his home. The two officials were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
Investigators believe the firearm Crooks used had been purchased by Crooks91裸聊视频� father at least six months ago, two law enforcement officials said. Federal agents were still working to understand when and how his son obtained the gun and to gather additional information about Crooks, according to the officials, who were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
Crooks91裸聊视频� political leanings were not immediately clear. Records show Crooks was registered as a Republican voter in Pennsylvania, but federal campaign finance reports also show he gave $15 to a progressive political action committee on Jan. 20, 2021, the day President Joe Biden was sworn in to office.
Authorities told reporters that Crooks was not carrying identification so they were using DNA and other methods to confirm his identity. Law enforcement recovered an AR-style rifle at the scene, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the investigation.
Most serious assassination attempt since 1981
The attack was the most serious attempt to kill a president or presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981. It drew new attention to concerns about political violence in a deeply polarized U.S. less than four months before the presidential election. And it could alter the tenor and security posture at the Republican National Convention, which begins Monday in Milwaukee.
Organizers said the convention would proceed as planned.
Trump flew to New Jersey after visiting a local Pennsylvania hospital, landing shortly after midnight at Newark Liberty International Airport. Video posted by an aide showed the former president leaving his private jet flanked by Secret Service agents and heavily armed members of the agency91裸聊视频檚 counter-assault team, an unusually visible show of force by his protective detail.
Biden, who is running against Trump, was briefed on the attack and spoke to Trump several hours after the shooting, the White House said.
91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 no place in America for this type of violence,91裸聊视频� the president said. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 sick. It91裸聊视频檚 sick.91裸聊视频�
Biden late Saturday cut short a weekend at his beach home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, to return to Washington.
Many Republicans quickly blamed the violence on Biden and his allies, arguing that sustained attacks on Trump as a threat to democracy have created a toxic environment. They pointed in particular to a comment Biden made to donors on July 8, saying 91裸聊视频渋t91裸聊视频檚 time to put Trump in the bullseye.91裸聊视频�
Officials said the counter-assault team killed the shooter. The heavily armed tactical team travels everywhere with the president and major party nominees and is meant to confront any active threats while other Secret Service agents focus on safeguarding and evacuating the person at the center of protection.
An AP analysis of more than a dozen videos and photos from the scene of the Trump rally, as well as satellite imagery of the site, shows the shooter was able to get astonishingly close to the stage where the former president was speaking.
A video posted to social media and geolocated by the AP shows the body of a person wearing gray camouflage lying motionless on the roof of a building at AGR International, a manufacturing plant just north of the Butler Farm Show grounds where Trump91裸聊视频檚 rally was held.
The roof where the person lay was less than 150 meters (164 yards) from where Trump was speaking, a distance from which a decent marksman could reasonably hit a human-sized target. For reference, 150 meters is a distance at which U.S. Army recruits must hit a scaled human-sized silhouette to qualify with the M-16 rifle. The AR-15, like the shooter at the Trump rally had, is the semi-automatic civilian version of the military M-16.
The range from which Crooks fired and his clothing led to early speculation that the shooter had military experience. However, all the branches of the military searched their records Sunday and said in response to a query by the AP that they had no records of him serving.
Asked at a news conference whether law enforcement did not know the shooter was on the roof until he began firing, Kevin Rojek, the agent in charge of the FBI91裸聊视频檚 Pittsburgh field office, responded that 91裸聊视频渢hat is our assessment at this time.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淚t is surprising91裸聊视频� that the gunman was able to open fire on the stage before the Secret Service killed him, he added.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, whose department oversees the Secret Service, said officials were engaged with the Biden and Trump campaigns and 91裸聊视频渢aking every possible measure to ensure their safety and security.91裸聊视频�
A rally disrupted by gunfire
Trump was showing off a chart of border crossing numbers when the gunfire began after 6:10 p.m.
As the first pop rang out, Trump said 91裸聊视频淥h91裸聊视频� and raised his hand to his right ear and looked at it, before quickly crouching to the ground behind his lectern. The people in the stands behind him also crouched as screams rang through the crowd.
Someone could be heard near the microphone saying, 91裸聊视频淕et down, get down, get down, get down!91裸聊视频� as agents rushed to the stage. They piled atop the former president to shield him with their bodies as other agents took up positions on stage to search for the threat.
Afterward, voices were heard saying, 91裸聊视频淪hooter91裸聊视频檚 down91裸聊视频� several times, before someone asked, 91裸聊视频淎re we good to move?91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淎re we clear?91裸聊视频� Then someone ordered, 91裸聊视频淟et91裸聊视频檚 move.91裸聊视频�
Trump could be heard on the video saying at least twice, 91裸聊视频淟et me get my shoes,91裸聊视频� with another voice heard saying, 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e got you, sir.91裸聊视频�
Trump got to his feet moments later and could be seen reaching with his right hand toward his face, which was streaked with blood. He then pumped his fist in the air and appeared to mouth the word 91裸聊视频渇ight91裸聊视频� twice to his crowd of supporters, prompting loud cheers and then chants of 91裸聊视频淯SA. USA. USA.91裸聊视频�
His motorcade left the venue moments later. Video showed Trump turning back to the crowd and raising a fist right before he was put into a vehicle.
Witnesses heard multiple gunshots and ducked for cover
When the firing began, 91裸聊视频渆verybody went to their knees or their prone position, because we all knew. Everyone becoming aware of the fact this was gunfire,91裸聊视频� said Dave McCormick, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, who was sitting to Trump91裸聊视频檚 right on stage.
As he saw Trump raise his fist, McCormick said, he looked over his shoulder and noticed someone had been hit while sitting in the bleachers behind the stage.
Eventually, first responders were able to carry the wounded person out of a large crowd so he could get medical care, McCormick said.
Reporters covering the rally heard five or six shots ring out and many ducked for cover, hiding under tables. After the first two or three bangs, people in the crowd looked startled, but not panicked. An AP reporter at the scene reported the noise sounded like firecrackers at first or perhaps a car backfiring.
When it was clear the situation had been contained and Trump would not return to speak, attendees started filing out of the venue.
Police soon told the people remaining to leave the venue and Secret Service agents told reporters to get 91裸聊视频渙ut now. This is a live crime scene.91裸聊视频�
Two firefighters from nearby Steubenville, Ohio, who were at the rally told the AP that they helped people who appeared hurt and heard bullets hitting broadcast speakers.
91裸聊视频淭he bullets rattled around the grandstand. One hit the speaker tower, and then chaos broke,91裸聊视频� Chris Takach said. 91裸聊视频淲e hit the ground, and then the police converged into the grandstands.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淭he first thing I heard is a couple of cracks,91裸聊视频� Dave Sullivan said.
Sullivan said he saw one of the speakers get hit and heard bullets rattling. 91裸聊视频淲e hit the deck,91裸聊视频� he said.
Political violence again shakes America
The perils of campaigning took on a new urgency after the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in California in 1968, and again in 1972 when Arthur Bremer shot and seriously hurt George Wallace, who was running as an independent on a campaign platform that has sometimes been compared to Trump91裸聊视频檚. That led to increased protection of candidates, even as the threats persisted, notably against Jesse Jackson in 1988 and Barack Obama in 2008.
Presidents, particularly after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, have even greater layers of security, and Trump is a rarity as both a former president and a current candidate.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Ohio Sen. JD Vance, three men on Trump91裸聊视频檚 shortlist for vice president, all quickly sent out statements expressing concern for the former president, with Rubio sharing an image taken as Trump was escorted off stage with his fist in the air and a streak of blood on his face along with the words 91裸聊视频淕od protected President Trump.91裸聊视频�
___
Colvin, Balsamo and Price reported from New York. Long reported from Washington. Tucker reported from Westport, Connecticut. Associated Press writers Michael Biesecker, Alanna Durkin Richer and Tara Copp in Washington, Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Will Weissert in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, contributed to this report.
Julie Carr Smyth, Jill Colvin, Colleen Long, Michael Balsamo, Eric Tucker And Michelle L. Price, The Associated Press
