Trump survives assassination attempt at poll campaign rally

Former U.S. President Donald Trump survived a suspected assassination attempt but was hurt on one ear during his election campaign rally in Butler, in the state of Pennsylvania, on Saturday, reported Xinhua.

The Republican presidential candidate is claimed to be "safe," but the shooter and a rally attendee were killed, and two spectators were critically injured.

The following is what has happened so far in this incident (in EDT time, GMT-4)

-- At 6:02 p.m. Saturday, Trump, wearing a red "Make America Great Again" cap, took the stage at fairgrounds in Butler, Pennsylvania, amid scorching heat. He waved to the cheering crowd and started his speech.

-- At 6:11 p.m., when Trump was talking about a chart that showed a spike in border crossings in the past years: "That chart is a couple of months old ... And if you want to really see something that's sad, take a look at what happened..." Several popping sounds cut him short, and he was seen touching his right ear with his hand. He then quickly looked at his hand before quickly ducking under the podium. Shrieks and shouts, "Get down! Get down!" could be heard from the audience.

-- At 6:12 p.m., several law enforcement agents swamped Trump and covered him with their bodies; two men in full gear guarded the podium. After a few seconds, voices from the microphone said: "Shooter's down ... Let's move, let's move!"

Seconds later, agents helped Trump slowly get up. Trump, with blood on his right ear and right cheek, said multiple times: "Let me get my shoes." Then he said: "Wait, wait." He pumped his fist into the air and mouthed the words "fight, fight, fight," with the audience cheering.

The agents then escorted him off the stage into a nearby SUV and left with a motorcade.

-- At 6:42 p.m., a media officer from the U.S. Secret Service confirmed in a statement that an "incident" occurred during Trump's campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

"A suspected shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue. U.S. Secret Service personnel neutralized the shooter who is now deceased."

The statement said Trump is "safe" and is "being evaluated," adding, "One spectator was killed, two spectators were critically injured."

Moments later, the Trump campaign issued a statement saying Trump "is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility."

-- At 8:13 p.m., U.S. President Joe Biden condemned the suspected assassination attempt in his televised speech about two hours after the incident.

"We cannot allow this to be happening," Biden said. "The idea that there's violence in America like this is just unheard of."

"Look, there's no place in America for this kind of violence. It's sick. It's sick," he said.

The president said he needs more information to formally call the incident an attempted assassination of the former president.

Later, he spoke with Trump over the phone.

-- At 8:42 p.m., Trump posted on Truth Social that he had been shot "with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear."

"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," he wrote.

He also thanked the U.S. Secret Service and Law Enforcement for the rapid response to the shooting and extended condolences to the families of the dead and injured.

-- At 11:51 p.m., the FBI formally called the attack on Trump an "assassination attempt" and said a motive hasn't been found yet.

"This evening, we had what we're calling an assassination attempt on our former president, Donald Trump," Kevin Rojek, the FBI special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh field office, told reporters. "We do not currently have an identified motive."

In an updated report, AP said law enforcement officials claim that the assailant who opened fire at the Trump rally was a 20-year-old man from Pennsylvania.

-- Shortly after midnight Sunday, Trump's private jet landed at Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey, and Trump was seen stepping out of the plane. He plans to spend the night at his private golf club in nearby Bedminster, while Biden has cut short his weekend vacation and returned to the White House.