Trump unhurt after shooting at Pennsylvania rally; shooter and bystander dead, officials say

Former President Donald Trump said a bullet grazed his ear in a shooting at his campaign rally in western Pennsylvania that killed one rally attendee and injured two other spectators on Saturday, according to the Secret Service.

The shooter is dead and the scene is secure, officials said. Trump, the likely Republican presidential nominee, is “fine” and was being treated at a local medical facility, according to his campaign team.

The FBI has identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. A motive for the shooting, which the FBI is calling an attempted murder, is unclear.

Governor of Pennsylvania. Josh Shapiro identified the dead bystander as Corey Comperatore, the former chief of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Department, which is about 15 miles southeast of where the shooting occurred.

“Corey was a girl dad,” Shapiro said at a news conference Sunday afternoon. “Corey was a firefighter. Corey went to church every Sunday. Corey loved his community.”

Comperatore’s family called him a hero who died protecting his family at the rally, Shapiro said.

At around 6 p.m., shots rang out while Trump was speaking on stage at his rally near Butler, Pennsylvania, about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh. Trump apparently covered his ears briefly before crouching on the ground with Secret Service agents. Screams could be heard from the crowd as the “popping” sounds were heard.

Secret Service agents then ushered Trump off the stage and into a car while he raised his fist in the air. His ear appeared to be bleeding and his face appeared to be smeared with blood.

The suspected gunman fired several shots at the stage “from an elevated position outside the venue,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement. Secret Service agents “neutralized the gunman, who is now dead,” Guglielmi said.

In a Truth Social post published about three hours after the shooting, Trump said he was “struck by a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear.”

“I knew immediately that something was wrong because I heard a hissing sound, gunshots and immediately felt the bullet go through the skin,” he said. “There was a lot of bleeding, so I realized what was going on.”

Trump posted again on Truth Social early Sunday morning, saying, in part, “At this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand united and show our true character as Americans by remaining strong and determined and not allowing evil to win.”

Late Saturday, Shapiro said Trump left the Butler area “under the protection of the U.S. Secret Service and with the assistance of the Pennsylvania State Police.”

The shooter used a semi-automatic rifle, according to weapons found at the scene, three senior U.S. police officials told NBC News. Officials are currently investigating whether the weapon used by Crooks belonged to his father and was purchased legally, NBC News reported, citing two senior police officials briefed on the investigation.

State records show Crooks was a registered Republican. According to NBC News, Federal Election Commission donor records listed a Thomas Crooks of Pittsburgh as donating $15 in June 2021 to ActBlue, a political action committee that supports Democrats. It was not clear if that was the same Crooks authorities identified.

As law enforcement investigates the possible motive behind the attack, details about the shooter’s life are beginning to emerge. A former classmate of the shooter told NBC News that Crooks was “bullied almost every day” in high school.

“He always sat alone at lunch. I mean, he was just an outsider,” the classmate said, adding, “It’s pretty sad, to be honest.”

At a press conference on Saturday evening President Joe Biden strongly condemned the shooting and called it “sick.”

“We cannot allow this to happen. We cannot be like this. We cannot tolerate this,” he said. “The bottom line is that the Trump rally … could have been peaceful and without any problems. … Everyone must condemn it.”

Biden and Trump spoke late Saturday evening, the White House said. A White House official described the phone call as “good, brief and respectful,” NBC News reported.

Biden said earlier in a statement that he was grateful to hear that Trump was “safe and well.”

Vice President Kamala Harris also said she was relieved that Trump was not seriously injured. “We are praying for him, his family, and all those injured and affected by this senseless shooting,” she said in a statement.

A doctor at the rally who identified himself as Joseph told NBC News he saw a man shot in the back of the head and fall to the lower part of the bleachers. The man appeared to die instantly, he said, adding that a woman nearby also appeared to have been shot in the arm.

Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania, said in a statement that the Pennsylvania State Police are working with local and federal law enforcement.

“Violence against political parties or political leaders is absolutely unacceptable,” said the Democratic governor. “It has no place in Pennsylvania or the United States.”

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers said his office was “in contact with security planning coordinators” for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, which begins Monday. In a joint statement hours after the shooting, Trump and the Republican National Committee said the convention would go ahead.

Violent threats against public officials in the U.S. have been on the rise. Many Democratic and Republican officials similarly condemned political violence as news of the incident spread. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wrote on X that he was “horrified” by the incident and relieved that Trump was safe. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he was “praying for President Trump.”

Several Republican lawmakers explicitly blamed Biden and Democrats for the shooting in statements on social media, even before law enforcement had publicly identified the shooter and his motive.

Hayley Miller and Shawn Cox contributed reporting.

This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com.