Former President Donald Trump issued a new statement early Sunday hours after a bullet grazed his ear when a gunman opened fire at a Pennsylvania rally saying that he looks “forward to speaking to our Great Nation this week from Wisconsin.”
“In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win,” Trump posted on social media.
A gunman opened fire Saturday while Trump was speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing the former president’s ear. A bystander was killed and two others were critically wounded, the FBI said late Saturday.
The FBI identified the suspect in the shooting as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, of nearby Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The Secret Service said they had “neutralized” the shooter, and confirmed he had died. The FBI is leading the investigation into the shooting, and a motive has not yet been identified.
The White House said late Saturday that President Biden had spoken to Trump by phone. Mr. Biden is set to receive a briefing Sunday morning about the situation. In a televised statement late Saturday, Mr. Biden pleaded for calm and called the assassination attempt of his political rival “sick.”
The Republican National Convention is set to kick off Monday in Milwaukee, with Trump set to announce his running mate his week.