By Tiffany Williams –
On Saturday, former President Donald J. Trump, while at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, was shot at. The incident happened at approximately 6:15 p.m.
The suspected shooter, the Secret Service says, fired multiple shots from an elevated position outside of the rally venue.
The shooter was neutralized by US Secret Service personnel and is deceased.
The US Secret Service responded to the former President quickly with protective measures, and the former president was safely escorted away to a nearby vehicle and was taken to an area hospital to be evaluated.
One individual was killed, and two others were critically injured.
The incident is under investigation, and the Secret Service has formally notified the Federal Bureau of investigation, which has assumed the role of the lead federal law enforcement agency in the investigation.
Special agents of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office responded immediately, including a crisis response team and evidence response technicians.
President Biden, Saturday night was fully briefed Saturday by Kimberly Cheatle, Director of the United States Secret Service, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Department of Homeland Security, and Liz Sherwood-Randall, Assistant to the President and Homeland Security Advisor.
In Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Saturday night President said he had tried to get a hold of former President Trump. The President said former President Trump was with his doctors and was doing well. Biden said he planed on talking to former President Trump shortly when he got back to the telephone.
“Look, there is no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick. It’s sick. It’s one of the reasons why we have to unite this country. We cannot allow for this to be happening. We cannot be like this. We cannot condone this,” said President Biden. “And so — and I want to thank the Secret Service and all the agencies, including the state agencies, that have been engaged in making sure that the people who — and we have more detail to come relative to the other injured — other people who may be injured in the audience. I don’t have all that detail, but we’ll make that available to you.”
President Biden also said, “The bottom line is that the ra- — the Trump rally was a rally that he should have been able to con- — be conducted peacefully without any problem. But the idea — the idea that there’s political violence or violence in America like this is just unheard of. It was just not appropriate. And we — everybody — everybody must condemn it. Everybody.”
President Biden said that he had been thoroughly briefed by all the agencies in the federal government as to the situation. He said it appears former President Trump was doing well. He also said, speaking about the federal agencies involved, they were thoroughly investigating what happened to anyone else in the audience.
When President Biden was asked if he thought this was an assassination attempt, the President said, “I don’t know enough to — I — I have — I have a — I have an opinion, but I don’t have any facts. So, I want to make sure we have all the facts before I make some comment — any more comments.”
Following his remarks this evening. the President and Vice President received an updated briefing from Kim Cheatle, Director of United States Secret Service, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Department of Homeland Security, Liz Sherwood-Randall, Assistant to the President and Homeland Security Advisor, Merrick Garland, Attorney General, Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor, and Christopher Wray, FBI Director.
President Biden also did eventually speak to former President Trump at some time Saturday night. He also spoke to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who just after 11:00 p.m., confirmed, “Under the protection of US Secret Service and with the assistance of the Pennsylvania State Police, former President Trump has now left the Butler area.”
At about 10:40 p.m., President Biden departed Rehoboth, Delaware en route to Dover Air Force Base, where he arrived at 11:24 p.m., and boarded Air Force One at 11:28 p.m. Air Force One was wheels up for Joint Base Andrews at 11:40 p.m. and landed at JBA at 12:03 a.m. President Biden walked off Air Force One at 12:12 a.m. and got into the motorcade without stopping and talking to the press. The motorcade left JBA at 12:14 a.m., and President Biden returned to the White House at 12:36 a.m.
Tomorrow morning at the White House, the President will receive an updated briefing from homeland security and law enforcement officials.