DPA
Washington
Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, with footage showing the former US president defiantly raising his fist with blood on his face as he was escorted off the stage by Secret Service agents.
The shooting in the town of Butler, north of Pittsburgh, is likely to cause political shockwaves in the United States just months ahead of Trump’s rematch with President Joe Biden in November’s elections.
A shooter was able to climb onto the roof of a nearby building and fire a number of bullets at Trump with an assault rifle, causing panic to break out in the audience as loud bangs and screams were heard.
One rally attendee was killed and two others seriously injured in the incident, according to the Secret Service.
Trump said on his social media site Truth Social that a bullet had pierced the upper part of his 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,” he wrote.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has identified the suspected shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The man was killed by Secret Service agents moments after he fired at Trump.
