(Butler) Donald Trump urged Americans to unite on Sunday, the day after an assassination attempt from which he escaped with an ear injury and which plunged an already tense presidential campaign into the unknown.
The 78-year-old former president was evacuated with a bloody cheek after several shots were fired at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, which left one spectator dead and two seriously injured.
Police also confirmed the death of the alleged perpetrator.
Before being evacuated, the former president raised his fist in the air in defiance. He later said he was hit by a bullet that pierced his right ear.
“Only God prevented the unthinkable from happening,” the Republican presidential candidate assured Sunday on his Truth Social platform.
“At this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand united,” added the former president, calling for not “allowing evil to win.”
His wife Melania on Sunday called the shooter a “monster” who “tried to extinguish Donald’s passion,” according to a statement posted on her X account.
Explosives
The Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting senior political figures, said the suspect “fired several shots towards the scene from an elevated position” outside the rally’s perimeter some 150 metres away, before being “neutralised” by agents.
The FBI confirmed that it was an attempted assassination and identified the perpetrator as “Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.” His motive remains unknown.
According to several American media outlets, explosives were found in his vehicle parked not far from the rally site.
Democratic President Joe Biden, who spoke to Donald Trump on Saturday night, said in a televised address that he was relieved to hear that the Republican was okay while condemning “such violence.” He cut his weekend short and returned to the White House on Saturday night.
A video published by the American website TMZ shows the shooter lying on his stomach on the roof of a building and holding a rifle.
ILLUSTRATION AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
A Maxar satellite image showing the location where Donald Trump held a rally.
“The man has long brown hair and appears to be wearing a gray shirt and khaki pants,” the celebrity site reported.
The suspect, registered as a Republican voter according to several media outlets, appears to have acted alone.
His father, Matthew Crooks, told CNN he was “trying to figure out what’s going on” and would not comment until he spoke to law enforcement.
The Republican candidate, who had just begun his speech with one of his usual tirades against immigration, immediately took cover behind his lectern before being surrounded and protected by agents. He then stood up, his hair disheveled and his face bloodied, before being taken to a vehicle to be evacuated.
The audience cried out in fear and spectators threw themselves to the ground.
Questions about the device
The assassination attempt has sparked outrage among world leaders from Britain to Japan, France and Israel.
The event has already rekindled political tensions and conspiracy theories have flooded social media.
Senator JD Vance, one of Donald Trump’s putative running mates, claimed that Joe Biden’s “rhetoric” had “led directly” to the attack.
And questions began to emerge about the security apparatus around Donald Trump, supposedly one of the most protected figures in the world.
PHOTO EVAN VUCCI, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Secret Service agents
Multiple witnesses said they saw the suspect before the shooting and alerted Butler police.
“Quite frankly, I’m surprised he was able to get up on that roof and shoot,” Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger told MSNBC on Sunday.
The Secret Service denied Sunday that it had refused additional resources to ensure Donald Trump’s security ahead of the rally.
The consequences of this event on the campaign could be immense. It comes as a revelation of the political tensions crossing an American society on edge.
In recent days, attention has focused on doubts about the health of Joe Biden, 81, and his ability to take on Donald Trump since their debate in late June, marked by the Democrat’s dismal performance.
Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday his intention to travel to Milwaukee, where the Republican convention is taking place from Monday and at the end of which he is to be officially nominated as the Republican Party’s candidate for the presidential election on November 5.