Police reveal new details about attempted assassination of Trump

The FBI and state law enforcement have “tentatively identified” a person as the gunman who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a rally outside Pittsburgh on Saturday.

“There were some complications that slowed the processing and identification of the shooter,” said Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police. He spoke at a press conference on Saturday evening along with an FBI spokesman.

The FBI confirmed that it had no information about a threat prior to the incident.

Minutes after Trump’s speech at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, loud bangs were heard and people ducked. Trump appeared to grab his face or ear and fall to the ground. When he stood up, surrounded by Secret Service agents, blood was streaming down his face.

“It was a chaotic scene,” said Bivens. “The police acted heroically, in my opinion.”

Trump was taken to nearby Butler Memorial Hospital.

A video showed Trump’s motorcade leaving the hospital at around 9:10 p.m. Trump left Butler shortly afterward, according to a statement from Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

Bivens said police are reviewing “multiple” reports of “suspicious” activity at the scene. Bivens said 30 to 40 Pennsylvania State Police officers were at the rally.

Officials said they had identified a single suspect but could not positively identify the person; they could only say he was a man.

“We are close to determining the identity,” said FBI special agent Kevin Rojek at the press conference on Saturday evening. There is no known motive, said Rojek.

Rojek said the group “does not believe it was a lone wolf attack,” but did not provide any further clues.

Bivens said there was “no other existing threat” to the public.

“It’s still an active crime scene,” Rojek said. “We’re checking all investigative leads.”

In addition to the shooter, a male participant in the rally was also killed. Two other adult men were seriously injured, according to Bivens.

An emergency room doctor told CBS News he initially thought the noises were “firecrackers,” but then heard someone screaming, “He was shot, he was shot.”

“The guy had turned around and was trapped between the benches,” the doctor said. “He had been shot in the head. There was a lot of blood and he had brain matter.”

The shooting is officially being investigated as attempted murder. The investigation will continue in the coming “days, weeks and months,” Rojek said. Trump is expected in Milwaukee next week for the Republican convention, where he will be officially nominated for president.

Anyone with information that can assist the FBI is asked to call the tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). Information can also be sent to fbi.gov/butler.

Rojek said videos and photos would be helpful, as would information about the shooter once his identity is known.

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