Former US President Trump Shot at Pennsylvania Rally

The former US President Donald Trump was rushed off stage after gunshots erupted at a rally in Pennsylvania in an apparent assassination attempt and video footage showed him raise a hand to his right ear, before ducking as sharp cracks a series of shots broke out at the rally.

He was quickly swarmed by US Secret Service agents and dragged off stage to a waiting vehicle. He raised a fist as he was bundled into the car.

Earlier, his spokesperson said he was fine and receiving treatment at a local medical centre, but blood was clearly visible on Trump’s ear and face as protection officers rushed him away.

The US Secret Service Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said that the suspect was shot dead at the scene by US Secret Service officers and added that one bystander was killed in the shooting and two others were critically injured.

Mr Guglielmi said Trump was safe and that measures for his protection had been implemented. He added that an active investigation which is being led by the FBI was under way and added that the attack was being treated as an assassination attempt.

The Republican candidate for President had just started addressing his supporters in Butler, Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state in the coming November election, when the shots started.

Several supporters holding placards and standing behind Trump ducked as the shots were heard and bystanders who spoke to journalists suggested the gunshots may have come from a one-storey building to the right of the stage where Trump was speaking.

A witness said that he had spotted a suspicious-looking person “bear crawling” on the roof of the building about five minutes after Trump took to the stage and he pointed the person out to Police.

Speaking from his home State of Delaware, President Biden deplored the attack and called it “sick” saying that there’s no place in America for this kind of violence and everybody must condemn it and the White House later said President Biden had spoken with Trump before returning to Washington DC.

Former President Barack Obama said there “is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy” and that he was “relieved that former President Trump wasn’t seriously hurt”.

Trump’s former Vice-president Mike Pence said he and his wife were praying for his former ally, adding that he urged every American to join them in prayers.

Meanwhile James Comer, the chair of the powerful House oversight committee, said he would summon the director of the Secret Service before his panel.