At a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, former U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to be the target of an assassination attempt as he delivered a speech to supporters. Law enforcement officials said the suspected gunman fired shots from an elevated position outside the rally venue before being killed by Secret Service agents. Trump was quickly shielded by agents and pulled to safety.
In a post on his Truth Social media site hours after the incident, Trump said a bullet had grazed his right ear, causing bleeding. Two spectators were critically injured in the shooting, according to the Secret Service. A local prosecutor said at least one rally attendee was killed in addition to the suspect.
The attack comes amid a tense political climate, just months before the 2024 presidential election in which Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee. President Joe Biden, Trump’s likely Democratic opponent, condemned the violence as “sick.” The Secret Service said Trump is safe and being evaluated. The incident marks the first assassination attempt against a current or former U.S. president since the 1981 shooting of Ronald Reagan.
