Trump says ear pierced by bullet in rally shooting, confirms first death

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Former President Donald Trump released a statement on his social media platform Truth Social following the shooting at his rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

He described the feeling as if “a bullet had pierced the upper part of my right ear.”

In his post, Trump wrote: “I want to thank the United States Secret Service and all law enforcement agencies for their quick response to the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania. Most importantly, I want to express my condolences to the family of the person killed at the rally and the family of another person who was seriously injured.”

He continued: “It is unbelievable that something like this can happen in our country. Nothing is currently known about the shooter, who is now dead. I was hit by a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong because I heard a hissing sound, gunshots, and immediately felt the bullet penetrating the skin. There was severe bleeding, so I realized what was happening.”

Trump was escorted off the stage at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday after gunshots rang out in the crowd. Secret Service agents kept close behind Trump, whose face appeared to be covered in blood, as they walked toward his motorcade and left the venue.

The Butler County district attorney told the Associated Press that the shooter was dead and a rally attendee at Trump’s event in Pennsylvania was killed.

President Joe Biden spoke about the shooting and said he had tried to contact Trump, who was receiving treatment. Biden said he would try to speak with him later in the evening.

“There is no place for this kind of violence in America – it’s sick, it’s sick. The bottom line is that the Trump rally is a rally that could have easily been held peacefully,” Biden said in a statement. “The idea – the idea – that there is political violence or violence like this in America is just outrageous, it’s not appropriate. Everyone – everyone – needs to condemn it. Everyone.”