Former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt during a rally in Pennsylvania, just days before he was to accept the Republican nomination for a third time. Gunfire erupted, causing panic, and a bloodied Trump, who was shot in the ear, was quickly escorted by Secret Service to his SUV, showing defiance with a fist pump.
Trump’s campaign reported he was “fine” after the shooting, which pierced the upper part of his right ear. On his social media, Trump described hearing a whizzing sound before feeling the bullet and experiencing heavy bleeding.
Authorities identified the shooter as a 20-year-old man from Pennsylvania. The Secret Service confirmed they killed the assailant, who attacked from an elevated position outside the rally venue. One attendee was killed, and two others were critically injured.
The FBI has not yet released the shooter’s identity or motive. This incident, the most serious assassination attempt since Ronald Reagan in 1981, highlights concerns about political violence in the U.S. just months before the presidential election.
Despite the attack, the Republican National Convention will proceed as planned. Trump flew to New Jersey after a hospital visit, with an unusually heavy security presence.
President Joe Biden condemned the violence, stating, “There’s no place in America for this type of violence. It’s sick.”
