Butler, Pennsylvania –
Around 6:15 PM EST, according to eyewitness accounts, someone allegedly fired shots at a Pennsylvania rally for former President Trump. Trump grabbed his right ear after the first shot, and then another shot rang out, prompting him to duck on the stage. Numerous United States Secret Service (USSS) agents ran across the stage, with a few agents jumping up a flight of stairs to reach the former President.
According to an individual running for office in Pennsylvania who was also at the rally, a person in the stands was reportedly hit and removed from the scene by police. The Mayor of Slippery Rock, PA, Jondavid Longo, was also in attendance with his wife. Mayor Longo, who is retired from the United States Marine Corps and was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, told the media that he saw at least one rally attendee who was shot. From the audio recording, you can clearly hear at least six pops.
When former President Trump stood up, blood was visible on his right ear and cheek. The USSS then formed a human shield around Trump as they escorted him off the stage and into an SUV. Before being taken off the stage, Trump requested to put his shoes back on, but this request seemed to be denied. As he was being escorted, former President Trump pumped his fist in the air and he reportedly told the crowd to “fight.”
The White House and USSS originally referred to this as an “incident.” However, in audio recordings of the event, USSS agents can be heard repeatedly saying the “shooter was down” before they took former President Trump off the stage.
The rally crowd was then cleared from the venue, and authorities are now conducting an investigation.
The DA for Butler County, Pennsylvania is reporting that the purported shooter and one rally attendee are dead. Another individual is allegedly in serious condition.
Butler county district attorney Richard Goldinger tells me Trump was grazed by gunfire but is safe. An audience member was killed and the shooter is dead. Another person is in serious condition, the prosecutor said.
— Meryl Kornfield (@MerylKornfield) July 13, 2024
Killed that POS pic.twitter.com/lZIVm8k2s1
— Lilly (@thelillygaddis) July 13, 2024
UPDATE:
At 6:49 PM, the United States Secret Service (USSS) posted this on X:
