Trump was in the middle of delivering his rally speech – turned toward the right with his hands on his lectern – when the sound of multiple gunshots suddenly rang out at approximately 6:15 p.m. ET.
Trump grabbed his right ear and dropped to the ground as Secret Service agents told him to get down and rushed to the stage, protecting the former president while several more gunshots could be heard.
While Trump remained on the ground, there was one last round of shots and loud screams from the crowd. About 45 seconds after the former president was shot, agents were heard on the rally microphone saying, “Shooter’s down.”
“Are we good to move?” one agent asked.
“Are we clear?” asked another.
“We’re clear!” a Secret Service agent said as Trump was lifted to his feet, his face and ear bloodied.
The agents prepared to move Trump offstage into his nearby SUV, but he told them to wait. Trump lifted his fist in the air, prompting a loud cheer from the crowd at the rally, and he mouthed the word “fight” three times while pumping his fist. The crowd then chanted “USA!” as the former president was taken down the stairs by several agents and into his vehicle.
One of the rally attendees was killed in the shooting, and and two rally-goers were critically injured, according to the Secret Service. All of the victims were male, according to the FBI.
The shocking episode that threatened Trump’s life raises grave questions about security and how the former president was shot at, with lawmakers already calling for an investigation into the Secret Service’s handling of Saturday’s rally. The shooting comes right before Trump is set to accept the 2024 presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention this coming week.
President Joe Biden condemned the shooting, saying it was “sick,” in remarks from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on Saturday evening, and the White House said he later spoke to Trump by phone.
Shooter fired multiple times outside the rally venue
A law enforcement source and a police officer at the scene told CNN that the shooter was positioned on a building rooftop just outside the venue where Trump was holding his rally, located to the right of the event stage. There was a heavy law enforcement presence around the building.
The shooting is being investigated as a possible assassination attempt, according to law enforcement officials.
Written By Jeremy Herb, Jeff Zeleny, Holmes Lybrand and Evan Perez, CNN