Trump shooter identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks after attempted assassination

Over 200 Democratic staff joined a staff-level security briefing Sunday following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump Saturday evening.

The briefing revealed to Politico via House Administration Committee aides, shows how lawmakers and their staff are reacting to the political violence.

Members have also expressed discomfort about their security conditions, according to reports.

Democrats were stirring this week on the edge of a political revolution aimed at taking out President Joe Biden, but as fate would have it, former President Donald Trump dodged the assassination attempt instead.

In the days before a gunman attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Washington had been abuzz over whether Joe Biden would remain the Democratic presidential candidate.

Joe Biden's longtime friends and colleagues like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., signaled - Pelosi publicly on MSNBC and Schumer privately - their openness to a new candidate atop the ticket.

Polling shows Trump surging since and some betting markets have favored Vice President Kamala Harris to secure the nomination amidst Biden's mental and physical ability concerns.

But according to Democrat insiders, the mounting coup to take out Biden has been thrust aside as the party reacts to the very real attempted assassination aimed at the former president.

Lawmakers are pushing for enhanced Secret Service protection for presidential candidates in the aftermath of the failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump's life.

Thomas Matthew Crooks, opened fire at former President Donald Trump with an AR-style rifle from a roof 130 yards from his campaign rally stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, at 6:15 p.m.

The 20-year-old would-be assassin was a registered Republican who had donated to President Biden. Bullets from his gun killed Corey Comperatore, the retired fire chief of Buffalo Township, who died a hero protecting his family.

Since then, elected lawmakers have decried the total 'security failure' that allowed Crooks to get in position to shot at Trump - at such a short distance away.

Reps. Ritchie Torres, a Democrat, and Mike Lawler, a Republican, both of New York, released a joint statement announcing the enhanced efforts on Sunday.

A bipartisan effort by House lawmakers may give presidential candidates enhanced Secret Service protection.

Reps. Ritchie Torres, a Democrat, and Mike Lawler, a Republican, both of New York, released a joint statement announcing the enhanced efforts on Sunday.

'Last night’s attempted assassination of former President Trump was a dark moment in our nation’s history,' the wrote. 'As reports continue to emerge, it’s clear that more protection is needed for all major candidates for president.'

'That’s why we’re planning on introducing bipartisan legislation providing President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump, and presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. with enhanced Secret Service protection.'

'Anything less would be a disservice to our democracy.'

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner told CNN's Jake Tapper he needs to know more about the failures leading up to a shooter hitting Donald Trump.

The Ohio Republican said there was an overall failure of the broader net of presidential protection. However, he stopped short of announcing a full committee investigation into the shooting which left the shooter and a bystander dead.

'I believe that the threat is continuing,' Turner said. 'It's not just this one individual assassin's attempt.'

'Certainly, the Secret Service has to significantly increase its attempt to secure the areas where they attend.'

So far several members have announced plans to investigate the shooting in committee:

• House Oversight Committee (Chair James Comer, R-Ky.)
• House Homeland Security Committee (Chair Mark Green, R-Tenn.)
• Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee (Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla)

A Democrat running in a hotly contested race against a key Trump ally has called for the shooting at the former president to be investigated.

Arizona Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Ruben Gallego called for an investigation into Trump's shooting at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Gallego is facing off with Trump ally Kari Lake for outgoing Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's seat.

A senior federal official said security plans for the Republican National Convention will be reexamined after a man tried to shoot and kill Donald Trump.

The senior official told ABC News the plans were being reexamined on Sunday in light of the assassination attempts on Trump by a 20-year-old on Saturday evening.

Trump released a long statement Sunday morning on Truth Social praising God for saving his life as a bullet whizzed just past his head, clipping his ear, possibly saving him from death.

'It was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening,' he wrote

Former President Trump thanked everyone for their 'thoughts and prayers' and said 'God alone' prevented the assassination in a post on Truth Social Sunday morning. He also sent love to the other victims of the rally shooting.

The ex-president said the country must 'stand United' and said he looks forward to speaking this week in Wisconsin as the Republican National Convention kicks of Monday.

DailyMail.com's Charlie Spiering reports from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania:

NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said:

I am shocked by the attempted assassination on former President Trump. I wish him a speedy recovery and my thoughts are with those affected. I condemn this attack. Political violence has no place in our democracies.”

The neighbor of Thomas Matthew Crooks said he saw an Allegheny County bomb squad preparing to enter his residence shortly after 1am, according to the NYP.

'I saw a post of his name and that he lived in Bethel Park, so I looked him up and he lives .3 miles away,' Dan Maloney, 30, said.

'I went down there and spoke to the county bomb squad at 1:06 a.m. He said he was about to go into the house.

'I didn’t know the guy. No one in this neighborhood really talks to each other.

'It’s a tragedy. One person died, another is in the hospital. He went after a former president and likely the next president.'

China’s foreign ministry issued a statement following the assassination attempt on former Donald Trump at his Pennsylvania rally.

'China is concerned about the shooting of former President Trump, and President Xi Jinping has sent his regards to former President Trump,' said the statement.

The GoFundMe page authorized by Donald Trump for the families of those injured or killed during Saturday night's shooting has just passed a staggering $200,000 total.

The page has a set target of $1million to support the families of victims.

'All donations will be directed to these proud Americans as they grieve and recover,' the page, organized by the Trump campaign's national finance director Meredith O'Rourke, states.

Over 2,600 individual donations have been made, with the largest totaling $25,000, according to the website.

The former Democratic congresswoman said the attack was a 'logical consequence of repeatedly comparing' the former president to Adolf Hitler.

'After all, if Trump truly was another Hitler, wouldn’t it be their moral duty to assassinate him?' she added.

Gabbard said that she was praying for Trump, 'and our country' following the assassination attempt

A member of the crowd at Donald Trump's rally said he saw the gunman 'move roof to roof' about 200 to 250 yards from where the former president was delivering a speech.

Speaking to KDKA-TV, a news outlet for CBS, Ben Macer said he told a police officer he could see someone from where he stood near a fence.

'I was up at the fence line, saw the guy move from roof to roof, talked, told an officer that he was on the roof,' he said.

Modi has condemned the assassination attempt on his 'friend' Donald Trump in a post to X, formerly Twitter.

In 2020, during a two-day visit to India by Trump, the two world leaders held hands and praised each other in the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat.

A GoFundMe page for donations to the supporters and families of those injured or killed at Saturday's rally, authorized by Trump has already raised over $170,000.

The page, organized by the Trump campaign's national finance direct Meredith O'Rourke, has attracted over 2,000 donations since it was set up last night.

'President Donald Trump has authorized this account as a place for donations to the supporters and families wounded or killed in today’s brutal and horrific assassination attempt,' the page reads.

'All donations will be directed to these proud Americans as they grieve and recover. May God bless and unite our nation'.

Taking to X this morning, the Conservative leader said he was 'horrified by the attack in Pennsylvania'.

Police cars gather outside the residence of Thomas Matthew Crooks, Trump Rally Shooter, as cops investigate the area in Pennsylvania, on July 14.

In the aftermath of the incident, one rally attendee was killed, two rally attendees are in critical condition and former-President Donald Trump suffered a non-fatal gunshot wound to the ear.

Nigel Farage joined British journalist Laura Kuenssberg on her Sunday BBC political programme and said he was 'very upset' by the attack on his 'good friend' Trump - but was not surprised.

He said the 'nasty' narrative put out by 'liberals who oppose him' almost 'encourages this type of behaviour'.

'Liberal intolerance is increasingly a part of this problem,' Farage said, before mentioning how he has also been the victim of physical attacks.

'And because it's me no-one cares,' he added.

Following the shocking assassination attack on Saturday night, Thomas Matthew Crooks' father, Matthew Crooks, told CNN he is trying to work out what exactly has happened.

He added he would 'wait until I talk to law enforcement' before speaking about his son.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, following the attack, President Biden said: 'We must unite as one nation'

Thomas Matthew Crooks, from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was identified as the shooter by the FBI following the shocking incident that took place during a rally in Butler.

It has since emerged through federal campaign finance records that the gunman was a registered Republican who had previously made a $15 donation to the liberal ActBlue political action committee on January 20, 2021 - Biden's Inauguration Day

Crooks opened fire from a rooftop 150 yards from where Trump was on stage addressing thousands of fans in Butler at 6:15pm

The FBI has confirmed the identity of the would-be assassin who shot Donald Trump as Thomas Matthew Crooks.

The 20-year-old from Bethal Park, Pennslyvania, opened fire at the former president from a roof 130 yards away from the rally stage.

Crooks killed a member of the rally crowd, shot Trump through the ear, and was then gunned down by Secret Service agents.

Law enforcement was seen surrounding his body and an AR-style rifle he used in one of the most horrifying acts of political violence in history.

The Secret Service is facing accusations it denied additional protection for Donald Trump before the attempted assassination.

Republican Rep. Mike Waltz said 'repeated' requests were made for the former president to have a bigger security detail while on the campaign trail.

FBI special agent Kevin Rojek said it was 'surprising' the gunman was able to fire multiple shots at Donald Trump before he was killed by Secret Service.

The special agent in charge of the FBI Pittsburgh office described the shooting as an 'attempted assassination' and still haven't formally identified the suspect.

He added that the Secret Service was responsible for surveying the rally venue before the shooting that has sparked claims of a widespread security failure.

Rojek added that law enforcement responded to multiple suspicious activities before the shooting.

Donald Trump has been seen for the first time since he was rushed from the stage at his rally after an assassination attempt.

The former president was seen walking down the stairs of his plane, Trump Force One, in Newark, New Jersey, just hours after he was shot in the ear.

His deputy communications director Margo Martin posted the video to X with the message: 'Strong and resilient'.

Trump, wearing a navy suit, raises his hand as he makes his way down the stairs in Newark, NJ.

He appears to have Secret Service agents in front and behind him.

'He will never stop fighting for America,' Margo Martin wrote.

Attorney General Merrick Garland issued the following statement on the Trump shooting:

I have been briefed on the shooting at former President Trump’s rally, and have briefed the President. The FBI, ATF, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and the Department’s National Security Division are currently working with the Secret Service as well as state and local law enforcement partners on the ground in Butler, Pennsylvania.

My heart is with the former President, those injured, and the family of the spectator killed in this horrific attack.

We will not tolerate violence of any kind, and violence like this is an attack on our democracy. The Justice Department will bring every available resource to bear to this investigation.

The FBI said they will be checking on ‘several suspicious occurrences’ that happened at Donald Trump’s rally.

‘The specific response to this would be all part of the after action. But yes, law enforcement was responding to check on several suspicious occurrences that will be part of the investigation,’ special agent Kevin Rojek said.

He asked the public to send in any information, photos or cell phone video to help the investigation.

The FBI has not identified the shooter or the motive in the case of the attempted assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

'We are not prepared to identify who the shooter is. We are close to that identification, and as soon as we're 100% confident in who that individual is, we will share that,' said FBI special agent Kevin Rojek at a press conference in Pennsylvania.

He added that 'we don’t have an identified motive.'

Rojek said the FBI considers this an 'assasination attempt.'

'This evening we had what we’re calling an assassination attempt against our former president Donald Trump. It’s still an active crime scene.'

The gunman who shot Donald Trump in an attempted assassination is a 20-year-old man from Pennslyvania, according to multiple reports.

The FBI are believed to know the suspect's identity, but have not released his name.

The gunman was shot and killed by Secret Service after firing at least eight shots at the rally in Butler, Pennslyvania.

He killed a member of the rally crowd, who is also yet to be identified.

Law enforcement will speak to the press after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

A politician recounted the bloody and gory scene he saw sitting behind Donald Trump after an attempted assassination attempt left several dead.

The tragedy unfolded at Trump's Saturday evening campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Midway through the former president's speech, gunshots rang out and Trump ducked down over before U.S. Secret Service agents piled on top of the 78-year-old.

David McCormick, a Republican candidate for Senate in Pennsylvania, recounted the horrific scene he saw immediately after the shots were fired.

'Sadly, someone behind me up in the bleachers was definitely wounded,' he said appearing on Fox News. 'And there was a lot of blood and the police came in and helped carry that person out of the stands so they could get the care they needed.'

Local police are looking at a van that has been sitting on the 100 block of Lawrence Avenue in Butler, Pennsylvania, according to a local TV reporter there.

It appears they are searching a van that has been sitting here for hours with out of state plates. Bomb squad is on their way, posted WTAE reporter Yazmin Rodriguez.

The street is about a 15 minute walk from the fairgrounds where Trump held his rally, according to Google maps.

J.D. Vance, one of the favorites to be Trump's runnng mate, said rhetoric from the Biden campaign led direcly to the failed assassination attempt.

Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson revealed his nephew was shot during the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

Jackson, who was Trump and President Barack Obama's White House physician, said he helped his nephew and a friend get a spot in the friends and family section close to the stage at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

He told Fox News on Saturday night that his relative was grazed in the neck and bleeding.

'They heard the shots and everybody dropped to the ground and … he was grazed in the neck, a bullet crossed his neck and he was bleeding,' Jackson said on Fox News. 'This is my nephew. They were there. I set them up. They went to the rally.'

Multiple congressional committees have begun probing the 'security failures' leading to a gunman's assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

The fact that a gunman was able to get to close to taking Trump's life is a frightening security failure, say lawmakers.

Former Navy SEAL Rep. Ryank Zinke, R-Mont., says the shooter being able to access a 'nearby roof' to take aim at Trump is an 'absolute failure of security.' He has experience securing perimeters in combat zones and as a protectee for presidential events.

The House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., told DailyMail.com in a statement that he plans to hold a hearing with the Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to get to the bottom of the failures.

The committee's messages indicate what could be the beginning of a deluge of congressional action over the attempted assassination of the former president.

'THE HOUSE WILL CONDUCT A FULL INVESTIGATION OF THE TRAGIC EVENTS TODAY,' Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., posted on X Saturday evening.

President Joe Biden spoke with former President Donald Trump after the shooting.

The White House did not release details of conversation:

This evening, President Biden spoke to former President Trump. The President also spoke to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Butler Mayor Bob Dandoy, the White House said.

Biden is returning to the White House from Rehoboth Beach, Del., Tomorrow morning he will be briefed by several intelligence officials, including the director of the FBI and the director of the Secret Service.

Witness accounts are providing new details into the terrifying moments when someone fired shots at a Trump rally in Butler Pennsylvania that wounded the former president – with one man saying he could see the suspected shooter crawling into position.

The Secret Service said the shot came from outside the security perimeter at the rally – where law enforcement uses security sweeps and magnetometers to screen for potential threats.

One witness who was outside the event said attendees could see a man climbing with a rifle to the top of a building outside the Trump rally – and that warnings from the crowd didn't have effect.

'I’m thinking to myself 'Why is Trump still speaking, why have they not pulled him off the stage'... the next thing you know, five shots ring out,' the man, identified as Greg, told the BBC.

President Joe Biden will return to the White House on Saturday night, his administration announced.

The president was in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, for the weekend when Donald Trump was shot at his rally in Pennsylvania.

Biden spoke on camera from Rehoboth, where he said he was trying to get in touch with Trump and denounced the shooting.

'There's no place in America this kind of violence. It's sick. It's sick,' he said.

Tiffany Trump thanked God for keeping dad Donald Trump alive after he was shoot as his rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday night.

'The outpouring of love and support for my dad is deeply appreciated. Thank you God for keeping my father alive,' she wrote on X.

She joined her siblings in thanking the Secret Service for their work and praying for the victims.

The Republican National Committee and the leaders of the Trump campaign said in a statement Saturday that the Republican National Convention will go on as planned.

The Milwaukee-based convention is expected to kick off Monday and go through Thursday.

The statement was signed by Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley and Co-Chair Lara Trump, the former president's daughter-in-law, as well as Trump's senior campaign advisers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita.

As was communicated earlier this evening, President Trump is doing well and grateful to law enforcement and first responders for their fast action.'

President Trump looks forward to joining you all in Milwaukee as we proceed with our convention to nominate him to serve as the 47th President of the United States. As our party's nominee, President Trump will continue to share his vision to Make America Great Again.'

Additionally, Reince Priebus, Trump's former White House chief of staff who's serving as chairman of the MKE 2024 Host Committee also said the show will go on.

President Trump is in my prayers after surviving this assassination attempt. We are also heartbroken that reports indicate that at least one innocent person has been killed and perhaps others have been injured. This horrific violence has no place in America.'

Guests have already begun to arrive in Wisconsin, and we look forward to working with the Republican National Committee to welcome everyone to Milwaukee this week.'

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed relief that former President Donald Trump is safe after the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania in a statement released Saturday night:

The entire Department of Defense condemns this violence, which has absolutely no place in our democracy. This is not the way that we resolve our differences in America — and it must never be. I'm relieved that reports indicate former President Trump is safe, and I am praying for him and his family and everyone affected by this appalling incident.'

A witness to Donald Trump's assassination attempt said he saw a man with a rifle bear crawling on an adjacent roof and tried to warn law enforcement.

'We’re pointing at the guy, crawling up the roof,' the witness said on the BBC. 'He had a rifle, you could clearly see he had a rifle.

'I’m thinking to myself, why is Trump still speaking? Why have they not pulled him off the stage?

'The next thing you know, five shots rang out,' the witness said, and added he is '100 percent' certain the shots came from that man.

Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez condemned political violence in an X post Saturday night, referring to the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump as a 'horrific incident.'

She also wished the presumptive GOP nominee a 'speedy recovery.'

Donald Trump's eldest son laid the blame for Saturday's rally shooting at the feet of the radical left but promised that it would not stop his father from campaigning.

It came hours after gunshots were fired at the former president during a rally in Pennsylvania, upending what was already an extraordinary campaign season.

Investigations continue but Donald Trump Jr. suggested there was no doubt who was behind the apparent assassination attempt.

'I just spoke to my father on the phone and he is in great spirits,' he said.

'He will never stop fighting to save America, no matter what the radical left throws at him.'

Donald Trump has revealed he was shot in the right ear in the horrifying assassination attempt at his Pennsylvania rally.

The former president described the moment he heard 'whizzing' sounds and the bullet 'ripping through his skin'.

He also paid tribute

'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,' he wrote on Truth Social.

'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.

'I was 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. GOD BLESS AMERICA!'

Ivanka Trump thanked the Secret Service for their decisive action. She said:

Thank you for your love and prayers for my father and for the other victims of today's senseless violence in Butler, Pennsylvania. I am grateful to the Secret Service and all the other law enforcement officers for their quick and decisive actions today. I continue to pray for our country. I love you Dad, today and always

House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., issued the following statement Saturday:

My prayers are with President Trump and the victims of the assassination attempt at today’s rally in Pennsylvania. I thank the brave Secret Service members who put their lives at risk to protect President Trump and for the American patriots in the audience who helped innocent victims.

Political violence in all forms is unamerican and unacceptable. There are many questions and Americans demand answers.

I have already contacted the Secret Service for a briefing and am also calling on Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to appear for a hearing.The Oversight Committee will send a formal invitation soon.

The FBI confirms officials are at the Butler, Pennsylvania scene where former President Donald Trump endured an assassination attempt Saturday:

In a follow-up statement, the FBI confirmed that it would take lead on the investigation into the shooting:

The FBI has assumed the role of the lead federal law enforcement agency in the investigation of the incident involving former President Donald Trump that occurred earlier today in Butler, Pennsylvania. Special agents of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office responded immediately, to include crisis response team members and evidence response technicians. We will continue to support this investigation with the full resources of the FBI, alongside our partners at the U.S. Secret Service and state and local law enforcement. Anyone with information that may assist with the investigation is asked to call our tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI.'

The spokesperson for the Secret Service said that the suspected shooter 'fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue' and confirmed that both the gunman and a rally attendee are dead.

Former President Donald Trump was comparing his record on shutting down illegal immigration to President Joe Biden's open border policies immediately before an assassination attempt at his Pennsylvania rally.

Trump said to the crowd: 'If you really want to see something this sad take a look at what happened -- ' he stated immediately before being cut off as eight and 10 shots rang out.

Mid-sentence, Trump grasped his right ear as blood spewed over his face and ducked down.

U.S. Secret Service agents immediately swarmed the stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, to give the former president cover. They did a rapid assessment of Trump as he was pinned down on the ground and could be heard confirming the 'shooter is down' before moving him.

'Let me get my shoes,' Trump could be heard saying as the agents propped him up.

Sir Keir Starmer, the new British prime minister, is among world leaders expressing their horror at what unfolded at the Trump rally.

He said he was appalled and that:

Political violence in any form has no place in our societies and my thoughts are with all the victims of this attack.

Dame Karen Pierce, the British ambassador to the US, said she had sent best wishes to the former president.

President Joe Biden on Saturday evening said there was no place for 'sick' political violence in America and said he was grateful that former President Donald Trump was safe.

He addressed the media about two hours after shots were fired at Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

'There's no place in America this kind of violence, it's sick. It's sick,' he said.

'It's one of the reasons we have to unite this country.

The president said he was trying to reach Trump, who is believed to be in a hospital near the rally site.

Read the story here

Vice President Kamala Harris sent out a statement Saturday night saying she and second gentleman Doug Emoff are relieved that former President Donald Trump was not 'seriously injured' during the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, calling it a 'senseless shooting.'

I have been briefed on the shooting at former President Trump’s event in Pennsylvania.  Doug and I are relieved that he is not seriously injured. We are praying for him, his family, and all those who have been injured and impacted by this senseless shooting. We are grateful to the United States Secret Service, first responders, and local authorities for their immediate action. Violence such as this has no place in our nation. We must all condemn this abhorrent act and do our part to ensure that it does not lead to more violence.

Donald Trump Jr. has said his father is in 'great spirits' in hospital and is under observation.

He added that his father is 'never gonna stop'.

Trump was taken for medical observation at a local hospital after the shooting.

President Joe Biden's campaign said Saturday night that it was pulling down all campaign advertising in the wake of the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania on former President Donald Trump.

The Biden campaign is pausing all outbound communications and working to pull down our television ads as quickly as possible.'

President Barack Obama has condemned the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

From Rob Crilly, Chief U.S. Political Correspondent

Blake Marnell was in his usual brick-patterned suit and his usual position in the center of the front row on Saturday evening to hear Donald Trump speak.

It meant he was barely 10 yards from the former president when he heard what he thought were firecrackers at the back of the crowd.

His close-up eye witness account, told exclusively to DailyMail.com, reveals the terror, anger and then finally relief that coursed through the Pennsylvania crowd as a gunman tried to assassinate the 45th president of the United States and the front return to return to power next year.

'I instinctively looked to the left,' he said, searching for the source of the sound. 'The next time I turned back to look at the president, he was being taken to the ground by the Secret Service agents.'

As he watched agents use their bodies to shield Trump on the ground, he could hear more gunshots targeted at the shooter.

President Joe Biden sent out a statement at 7:53 p.m. saying he is 'praying' for former President Donald Trump and condemning 'this kind of violence' in the aftermath of Saturday's shooting at Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania:

I have been briefed on the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania.  I’m grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well. I’m praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information. Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety. There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.'

Sources tell the Associated Press that the shooting at Trump's Pennsylvania rally is an 'attempted assassination' of the former president

An emergency room doctor at Trump rally reveals how he performed CPR on a member of the crowd after the shooting.

'I heard the shots. I thought it was firecrackers begin with. Somebody over there was screaming he's been shot he's been shot,' said the man who had blood splattered all over his white USA shirt. 'So I made my way over. I said I'm an emergency department physician. Let me help you.'

'The guy has spun around was jammed between the benches and a head shot here. There's lots of blood and he had brain matter,' he told CBS News.

'So I got him together so I got people there really helpful. Certainly one of their CPR compressions as well.'

Former President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush sent out a statement through their spokesperson Freddy Ford condemning the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump:

PA Senate Candidate Dave McCormick, who was standing in the front row of the rally:

President Trump has just announced the end to just like come up in this fight at the stage. And then he didn't know how to come up in a minute or two. And then there were a number of shots. And the crowd just sort of, you know, went to the ground and Secret Service came in, you know, very quickly tackled the president.

But, but there were separate shots and then what they think it's hard to tell whether they came from one direction or from two different weapons. It wasn't clear, at least I couldn't tell. And, and then, sadly, someone behind the up in the bleachers was was was definitely wounded.

And there was a lot of blood and, you know, the police came in and helped carry that person out of the stands so they could get the care they needed. I'm not sure if others were injured or not. It was all as you might imagine, very chaotic. But it was it was a very scary moment, obviously because

Donald Trump wore a bulletproof vest on the campaign trail in 2016.

He started to take precautions after a man rushed the stage at one of his Ohio rallies.

It is unclear if he wears one now.

Ronald Reagan was the last president to face an assassination attempt before shots were fired at Donald Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

When leaving the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. on March 30, 1981, Reagan was shot at several times and wounded when one bullet ricocheted off a vehicle and struck him under the left armpit.

Then-President Reagan spent 12 days at George Washington University Hospital before returning to the White House.

Trump, while not currently the U.S. president, is the first to face an assassination attempt since that day in 1981.

The gunman is dead, according to law enforcement.The former president and this year’s presumed Republican presidential nominee was speaking at a rally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Saturday when several pops were heard before Trump grabbed his ear and ducked behind the podium.

Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldfinger reportedly said one person is believed to be dead and 'possibly a second.'

He said the person believed to be dead was 'someone in the crowd.'

Immediately before the shots, Trump was talking about immigration comparing his record to Joe BIden's.

'If you really want to see something this sad take a look at what happened,' he stated immediately before shots rang out in the crowd, hitting him in what appeared to be his right ear.

Marco Rubio, one of the favorites to be Trump's running mate, thanks God for protecting the former president.

Trump may no longer be president, but he is surrounded by a security cordon that assumes he remains at high risk.

There is no background screening for events where tens of thousands may attend.

But all rallygoers are screened at the entrances for weapons, projectiles or anything else that could cause a threat. Secret Service agents, often aided by local law enforcement agencies and even the TSA, operate airport-style magnetometers.

Pockets have to be emptied, hats removed. Bags are searched by hand.

Sniffer dogs nose through cases of media gear and journalists' laptop bags.

The list of prohibited items is long: From fireworks and firearms to coolers and e-cigarettes. Pretty much anything that could be blown up, thrown or used as a weapon.

Former Secret Service agent Jonathan Wackrow says:

It certainly sounds like gunfire.

Those Secret Service agents rushed in and did exactly what xthey are trained to do which is to put maximum attention to the protectee.

This was supposed to be the start of Donald Trump's big week. After allowing Joe Biden the spotlight while he faced the biggest crisis of his political life, the rally in Pennsylvania was meant to mark the unofficial start of the Republican covention when he would officially become the party nominee.

That was all turned upside down in a split second on Saturday. The crowd flinch as the sound of a gunshot echoes through the fair ground. Trump puts his right hand to his head, and more shots can be heard.

Secret Service agents race on to the stage to protect the former president with their bodies.

Another volley of bullets can be heard, before a shout of 'Shooter down.' Then Trump stands, face bloodied, and raises his fist in the air before being hustled away.

A Trump insider told DailyMail.com: 'He's OK.'

An incident occurred the evening of July 13 at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania. The Secret Service has implemented protective measures and the former President is safe. This is now an active Secret Service investigation and further information will be released when available.

Attendees at the rally reportedly said they heard Secret Service agents say 'the shooter is down' after swarming the stage to come to the ex-president's side.

Prayers are coming in for former President Trump after he was seen with blood on his face following shots that rang out at a Pennsylvania rally Saturday afternoon.

Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., was standing front row at the rally along with Reps. Mike Kelly and GOP Senate candidate Dave McCormick.

Meuser said he heard between eight to 10 shots ring out, according to Fox News.

Witnesses said they heard someone shout 'Shooter down' as Trump was hustled from the stage by Secret Service agents.

A voley of shots could be heard during the attack.

Trump's motorcade has left the venue. His condition was not immediately known. Police began vacating the fairgrounds shortly after the former president left the stage.

President Joe Biden was leaving a church service in Delawae moments after the reports came in that Trump had been shot.

He said he had not yet been briefed on the shooting.

Donald Trump appeared to be shot in the ear as shots were fired at the former president at a rally in Pennsylvania.

Trump grabbed at the side of his face and blood spattered across his cheek as several popping sounds were heard.

The former president quickly pumped a fist at the crowd to show his supporters he was not severely injured, as Secret Service agents raced to the stage to race him away.

This is a developing story and will be updated as information is confirmed.