Updated: Shooter Identified; Biden Cuts Rehoboth Visit Short after Assassination Attempt on Trump in Butler, PA
UPDATED 07/14/24 – 4:30am – The FBI has identified the man who attempted to assassinate former President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania Saturday evening as 20 year old Thomas Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The FBI says the investigation remains active and ongoing.
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UPDATE: – 11:30 p.m. – President Joe Biden cut short his Rehoboth Beach visit this weekend after the apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
As word of the event reached Rehoboth, the President was leaving mass at Saint Edmond’s Catholic Church. Secret Service agents were seen distracted fielding phone calls as the President was about to depart. They shuffled the motorcade vehicles in the pouring rain and sped off with the President.
President Biden later came to the Rehoboth Beach City Hall where he delivered these remarks on the attempted assassination.
After spending less than 24 hours in town, the President and his caravan departed his North Shores home around 10:40 p.m. headed for Dover Air Force Base.
UPDATED – 9:15pm – Reports that President Trump has left the hospital. Statement from President Trump posted on Truth Social
UPDATED – 9pm – Statement from the US Secret Service
UPDATED – 8:18pm – President Biden left his North Shores beach house in Rehoboth Beach to make an official statement on the shooting incident at the Trump Rally in Butler, PA. City Hall is surrounded by local police and secret service personnel. In his very brief statement, President Biden says that every must condemn the shooting incident. He he has been thoroughly briefed and that he has tried to get a hold of Trump. A reporter asked President Biden if he thought this was an assassination attempt but Biden said he didn’t have enough facts to comment. He left the podium at City Hall shortly after and his motorcade has just left City Hall.
Full remarks by President Biden from the Rehoboth Beach Police Department just after 8pm courtesy of the White House.
| REMARKS BY PRESIDENT BIDEN Rehoboth Beach Police Department Rehoboth Beach, Delaware |
| 8:13 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Thanks for coming, folks. I’ve been thoroughly briefed by all the agencies in the federal government as to the situation, based on what we know now. I have tried to get a hold of Donald. He’s with his doctors. They — apparently, he’s doing well. I plan on talking to him shortly, I hope, when I get back to the telephone. Look, there is no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick. It’s sick. It’s one of the reasons why we have to unite this country. We cannot allow for this to be happening. We cannot be like this. We cannot condone this. And so — and I want to thank the Secret Service and all the agencies, including the state agencies, that have been engaged in making sure that the people who — and we have more detail to come relative to the other injured — other people who may be injured in the audience. I don’t have all that detail, but we’ll make that available to you. I may be able to come back a little later tonight. But we’ll put out a statement if we don’t — if I am not able to give — if we — if it’s not convenient for you all. But the bottom line is that the ra- — the Trump rally was a rally that he should have been able to con- — be conducted peacefully without any problem. But the idea — the idea that there’s political violence or violence in America like this is just unheard of. It was just not appropriate. And we — everybody — everybody must condemn it. Everybody. I’ll keep you informed. And if I am able to speak to the — to Donald, I’ll — I’ll let you know that as well. But so far, it appears he’s doing well. Number one. Number two, that they’re as thoroughly investigating what happened to anyone else in the audience. I have s- — we have some reports, but not final reports. And every agency in the federal government, and I’ll be — and I’m going back to — to my phone to speak with the federal agencies that are being put together again to give me an updated briefing — has anything happened, have they learned anymore in the last couple hours. So, thank you very much. And I hope I get to speak to him tonight. And I’ll get to — back to you if I do. Okay? Q Mr. President, do you think this was an assassination attempt? THE PRESIDENT: I don’t know enough to — I — I have — I have a — I have an opinion, but I don’t have any facts. So, I want to make sure we have all the facts before I make some comment — any more comments. Thank you. |
FBI issues statement on Trump rally shooting incident
“FBI personnel are on the scene in Butler, Pennsylvania and the FBI will continue to work jointly with the U.S. Secret Service as the investigation moves forward,” an FBI spokesman said.
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UPDATED – 7:57pm – Statement from President Joe Biden
I have been briefed on the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania.
I’m grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well. I’m praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information.
Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety. There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.
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UPDATED – Reports from the Secret Service that the shooter has been neutralized. This is now an active Secret Service investigation.
Reports from Associated Press that the shooter is dead and a rally attendee was shot and killed during the incident.
Rally attendees say they heard multiple shots ring out as President Trump was on the stage. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi says that protective measures have been implemented.
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President Trump was at a rally in Butler, PA when shots were fired. Todd Starnes is reporting that the Secret Service rushed him off the stage – with blood streaming down his face. Secret Service is reporting that President Trump is safe and is being checked out at an area hospital.
President Biden is in Rehoboth Beach this weekend and had just left St. Edmunds Catholic Church when he first learned of the shooting at the Trump rally. The White House Press Office say President Biden has now received an initial briefing on the incident.
Updated: President Biden is getting an updated briefing from
- Kimberly Cheatle, Director of the United States Secretary Service
- Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Department of Homeland Security
- Liz Sherwood-Randall, Assistant to the President and Homeland Security Advisor
Delaware Governor John Carney posted a statement on his Facebook page: Please pray for former President Trump, and all the attendees at his rally. This kind of violence has no place in our politics. It is completely unacceptable and an affront to our country’s values.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore this evening issued the following statement on the incident involving former President Trump in Pennsylvania:
“Political violence is unacceptable and against what our country stands for. This kind of cowardice must be roundly condemned by all Americans. What happened today to President Trump is abhorrent and should never be tolerated. Ever.
We are grateful for the swift action of law enforcement as we await more information and pray for former President Trump and his family.
Our nation is and must be better than this.”
This is a breaking story – and will be updated as information is available
