Former President Donald Trump was the target of an “assassination attempt” at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The attack, which left one person dead and another seriously injured, underscores the heightened tensions in the current political climate.
The rally, held in a Butler suburb, was packed with Donald Trump supporters. During his speech, gunfire erupted, spreading panic among the participants. The gunman, later identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, used an AR-type weapon to fire several shots from the roof of a building near the rally site. Secret Service agents quickly intervened and killed Crooks.
Crooks, who carried no identification, was later identified by the weapon used in the attack, CNN reported. Police sources confirmed that the AR-type weapon provided crucial information for identifying the shooter.
Crooks’ background is currently under investigation to understand his motivations and any possible links to larger threats.
The assassination attempt left one of the rally’s participants dead and another seriously injured. The identities of the victims have not been released. The injured person remains in critical condition and is receiving intensive medical care. The incident has left the community and the nation in a state of shock, highlighting the extreme risks faced by public figures and their supporters.
The incident prompted reactions from across the political spectrum. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed on the situation by the Department of Homeland Security and law enforcement.
In a show of unity, President Biden called former President Trump to offer his condolences and assure him of a thorough investigation. The call, described as “short and respectful”, marked a rare moment of direct communication between the two political rivals.
Senator Lindsey Graham and other political leaders stressed the need to tone down political rhetoric. “The rhetoric is way too hot, and we probably need to do some soul-searching as a nation,” Graham said. He welcomed the bipartisan condemnation of the violence, stressing the importance of unity in the face of such attacks.
Other Democratic and Republican figures condemned the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, who is also a presidential candidate.
These include former President Barack Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who posted messages on X accounts, formerly Twitter.
“Political violence has absolutely no place in our democracy,” wrote Barack Obama adding that “while we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump was not seriously injured, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics.”
http://[https://x.com/BarackObama/status/1812271849893442018]
The attack has raised serious concerns about the security of political events. Authorities, including the Secret Service and the FBI, have refuted claims that Trump requested additional security measures that were denied. The Secret Service’s head of communications, Anthony Guglielmi, said, “It is untrue to say that a member of the former president’s team requested additional security and that it was denied. This is absolutely false.”
The FBI also confirmed that no requests for additional security had been denied. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas assured that a thorough investigation was underway, with the collaboration of various law enforcement agencies, to ensure the safety of political figures and their supporters.
**Public and international reactions
The assassination attempt provoked strong reactions from the public, who called for a reduction in political violence and the promotion of civil discourse. House Speaker Mike Johnson urged Americans to treat each other with dignity and respect, even in heated political debates. He stressed the importance of condemning language that could incite violence.
International leaders also expressed shock and concern. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other world leaders condemned the attack and stressed that political violence has no place in democratic societies.
Haiti’s Presidential Transition College also denounced the attack in a statement on the Twitter account of CPT coordinator Edgard Leblanc Fils.
http://[https://x.com/EdgardLeblanc/status/1812506199616889069]
Twitter users also reacted to this assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Many of them denounced it as a set-up by the Donald Trump clan. Staged” was the most popular hashtag on Twitter on Sunday.
http://[https://x.com/FirstName736928/status/1812282274085281830]
http://[https://x.com/CantBEffedWit/status/1812449221015994407]