Former President Donald Trump was wounded during an apparent assassination attempt at a campaign rally Saturday in Pennsylvania.

The suspected gunman and one person at the rally were killed. Two others were wounded.

Trump was speaking on stage just after 6 p.m. local time when what was reported as a gunshot rang out. He put his hand to his right ear and was quickly pulled to the ground by Secret Service agents.

Trump got to his feet moments later and had blood pouring from his ear and on his face. As he rose, Trump pumped his right fist in the air and was then hustled off the stage by the Secret Service about two minutes after the shot was fired.

In a statement, Trump said he felt the bullet “ripping through skin.”

“I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear,” Trump said in his statement posted to his Truth Social site. “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. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”

BREAKING NEWS: The Secret Service confirms that Trump is 'safe' after the former president was rushed off rally stage following reports of possible gunshots in Butler, Pennsylvania. pic.twitter.com/JCEJ1ZhSqQ

— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 13, 2024

In a statement, the Secret Service said the suspected shooter fired multiple shots from an elevated position outside of the rally venue in Butler, Pennsylvania, about 50 miles north of Pittsburgh.

Agents killed the shooter. The Associated Press reported that law enforcement officials recovered an AR-style rifle at the scene.

As many as six shots were fired, according to media reports. Both Trump and the Secret Service said Trump is safe and being evaluated at a medical facility. The identities of the shooter, rallygoer who was killed, and the two wounded were not immediately released.

“I want to thank The United States Secret Service, and all of Law Enforcement, for their rapid response on the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania,” Trump wrote in his Truth Social post. “Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the Rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured. It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead.”

The attack was the first attempt to assassinate a president or presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981.
Many Republicans and Democrats issued statements Saturday night condemning the attack.

“There’s no place in America for this type of violence,” said President Joe Biden, who is running against Trump as the presumptive Democratic nominee, said. “It’s sick. It’s sick.”