Former president of the United States of America, Donald Trump was injured when a shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage where he was speaking during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania at around 6:15 PM on 13th July 2024.

The US Secret Service said in a statement that the shooter fired from “an elevated position outside of the rally venue” and that its personnel had “neutralized the shooter, who is now deceased”. A spectator was killed and two were critically injured in the incident, the Secret Service further said.

A map diagram illustrating the locations of the attacker, Donald Trump, and the Secret Service Counter Assault Team (PC: Cyrogigabyte/ Wikimedia commons)

The US’ Federal Bureau of Investigation has confirmed that the gunman was dead during a press conference. FBI official Kevin Rojek said authorities are “working feverishly to attempt to identify the individual who did this and any motives behind why this was done.” Earlier, the FBI informed that it has assumed the role of the lead federal law enforcement agency in the investigation into the assassination attempt on Trump, the Republican nominee for the 2024 Presidential Election.

The FBI also said that it was close to identifying the shooter but was not prepared to share that information. “We’re looking at photographs right now, and we’re trying to run his DNA and get biometric confirmation,” Rojek said.

US President Joe Biden has said that he is grateful that Donald Trump is “safe and doing well” and that he was praying for his main contender.

“There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it”, Biden stated in a post on X.

Ex-president Barack Obama too condemned the incident and stated that “There is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy. In a post on X, he said that all should be “relieved” that Trump “wasn’t seriously hurt, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics.”

Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi expressed deep concern by the attack “on my friend, former President Donald Trump” and wished him a speedy recovery. While condemning the incident, also said that “Violence has no place in politics and democracies.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the deceased, those injured and the American people,” the Prime Minister added in his post on X.