TRUMP SURVIVES ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT; 2 DEAD INCLUDING SHOOTER

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Update July 14, 2024--The shooter has been identified as Matthew Cook, 20, a registered  Republican from Pennsylvania.The rifle, an AR-15, was reportedly legally purchased by Cook's father.  Motive for the shooting remains unknown as the investigation continues.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Screenshot from NBC video--Secret Agents usher injured former President Trump to safety after shooting.

July 13, 2024 (San Diego) – Gunfire erupted at a Donald Trump rally late today in Pennsylvania, injuring the former President’s ear. One audience member was killed and two others seriously injured, according to the U.S. Secret Service, which killed the gunman.

Video on multiple TV networks showed the presumptive Republican presidential nominee clutching his ear, blood on his face, moments after several shots were heard.Trump dropped to the ground below the podium as the crowd erupted in panic, many ducking for cover.

Secret Service agents huddled around Trump, who raised a fist in the air as agents hustled him our of the open-air venue. He was later treated at a hospital for what his campaign described as a minor injury, assuring that he plans to attend the Republican National Convention which begins  Monday.

A Trump spokesperson, Steven Cheung, said Trump “thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act,” adding that the former president is “fine” and being checked out at a medical facility.

The identity of the gunman, who was atop a nearby building, has not been released. Nor has the identity of the audience member killed or those injured been disclosed.

Trump posted on his Truth Social platform after the shooting, “I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear,” adding, “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.”

President Joe Biden, briefed on the assassination attempt, issued a statement. “There’s no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick,” said Biden, who added that he tried to reach Trump but that Trump was with his doctors.

Locally, San Diego Congressional members spoke out after the shooting. Republican Darrell Issa posted on X, “Pray for President Trump.”

Democrat Mike Levin wished Trump a speedy recovery and stated,”Political violence has no place in our democracy and should never be the answer to settle our differences.”  Democrats Scott Peters and Johan Vargas also denounced political violence, with Peters thanking the Secret Service for their actions and Vargas offering thoughts and prayers for Trump and others who were injured.

San Diego’s Catholic Bishop Cornelius Bowser Sr. called for action to reduce gun violence.

“Even the most  powerful government in the world can’t shield a former president from gun violence,” he posted on X. “If our leaders can’t keep a presumptive nominee safe, what chance do ordinary Americans have?  We must address our nation’s devastating gun violence epidemic NOW.”

 


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Comments

the plot thickens

Submitted by on

“My name is Jonathan Willis. I’m the officer in the famous photo of the two snipers on the roof at Trump’s rally. I came here to inform the public that I had the assassin in my sights for at least three minutes. But the head of the Secret Service refused to give the order to take out the perp." . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=174752342

Kudos to this editor.

Submitted by on

I applaud the editor for this proper, accurate headline. Attempted murder for political reasons is by definition an assassination attempt. Shameful to watch the MSM try and dodge this fact. What a time to be alive, it's going to be an interesting 6 months.

In all fairness, at first no one was sure what had happened.

Submitted by on

Some thought it could have been a pellet gun, or fireworks. Media doesn't want to get it wrong,so better vague than false. Once a shooter was confirmed,it was obvious this was an assassination attempt.

It was clearly NOT staged by right-wingers to garner sympathy for Trump,  as some have suggested, since those were real bullets and had Trump not turned his head, he could have been killed, and someone else in the crowd did die.  Nor is there any evidence of any left-wing conspiracy at this point, since the shooter was a registered Republican wearing a shirt from a conservative group.

Our job is to report the truth, however that falls.  If it turns out this wasn't a lone wolf, but part of some broader group, we'll report whatever is found. 

I was glad to hear that President Biden has ordered an independent investigation into the Secret Service's handling of this event,  since clearly no sniper should be able to get onto a building with an eye-line toward a President,former President, or Presidential candidate.  While the Trump campaign was provided all the security it requested, clearly someone screwed up to allow this to occur. 

 

Interesting...

Submitted by on

News sources indicate Matthew Crooks was a registered Republican. According to witnesses on several news stations, law enforcement was notified several minutes before the shooting erupted, that a man with a rifle was crawling on the roof of the building he chose to shoot from. Obviously he wasn't spotted quick enough. After he opened fire, the reaction from a tactical unit was swift and deadly for the shooter. From my perspective after watching numerous replays of Trump being nicked on the ear by the first bullet fired, I believe if he had not turned his head towards the side at that fraction of a second, the bullet impact could have been fatal, yet it barely touched him and continued on a trajectory that most likely impacted a civilian. There have been videos of the law enforcement sniper team returning fire on the shooter, killing him almost instantly with at least one bullet possibly impacting him in the head. It's sad that politics have come to this type of violence once again. Differences in opinion should not escalate to such anger and deadly outcome. People need to learn how to talk about issues in a civil manner, while resolving them peacefully.

shooter identified

Submitted by on

The neighborhood in Bethel Park where the shooter, identified by the F.B.I. as Thomas Matthew Crooks, grew up is “pretty firmly middle class, maybe upper-middle class,” Dan Grzybek, who represents the area on the county council, said in an interview on Sunday. . . .The firearm recovered at the scene of the Trump assassination attempt was legally purchased by the suspect’s father, an urgent trace conducted by ATF found, according to multiple law enforcement sources. The shooter fired as many as eight rounds from an AR-style rifle while perched on a rooftop adjacent to the venue and was 200-300 yards away at the time of the shooting, law enforcement sources told ABC News. Authorities identified the gunman as a 20-year-old man from Bethel Park, a town about an hour’s drive from the site of the shooting.

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