2 dead and a shooter identified: What we know about the attempted Trump assassination.

Presidential candidate Donald Trump is safe, the US Secret Service says, after multiple shots were fired at the Republican's campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

Trump appeared to have been injured, with video footage showed him grimacing and raising his hand to his right ear as shots rang out from the crowd. He was seen with blood on his face.

Donald Trump was shot at during recent Trump rally.

pic.twitter.com/Yo6NCkraFf

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) July 13, 2024

Here's what we know so far.

Who shot Donald Trump?

A 20-year-old Pennsylvania man has been named as the suspected shooter behind the "assassination attempt," on Trump, the FBI has confirmed. The shooter was identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, who fired multiple shots at the campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. 

He was killed at the event.

Special agent in charge of the FBI's Pittsburgh field office Kevin Rojek said authorities had not yet identified a motive.

"This evening, we had what we're calling an assassination attempt against our former president Donald Trump. It's still an active crime scene," Rojek said at a press conference.

What happened to Trump?

Multiple shots were heard at the outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, shortly after Trump began his speech. Body guards then crowded around the former president as he ducked below the podium and armed officers took up positions at the front of the stage. 

CNN reported that Trump was injured, but gave no other details. It was not clear how or what injuries he may have sustained. Video showed him with blood on his right ear and the right side of his face.

Trump repeatedly raised his fist to the crowd and shouted as he was escorted to a vehicle by the US Secret Service.

Trump's campaign spokesperson said Trump was fine, and that he was being checked out at a local medical facility, according to a CNN reporter on X.

"President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act," spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement. "He is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility. More details will follow."

Watch The Quicky host Claire Murphy explain exactly what happened. Post continues below.

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Along with the shooter, one rally attendee was killed, and two were critically injured during the incident.

Anthony Guglielmi, Chief of Communications for the United States Secret Service, said in a press statement: "US Secret Service neutralised the shooter, who is now deceased... One spectator was killed, two spectators were critically injured. The incident is currently under investigation and the Secret Service has formally notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation."

Was it an attempted assassination?

Yes, law enforcement officials have said the shooting is being investigated as an attempted assassination of the former president and presumptive Republican nominee.

Here is the latest information from our investigation. We are grateful to the Secret Service team and our law enforcement partners for their swift action. Our thoughts go out to the families affected by this tragedy. pic.twitter.com/E8FazqtUVZ

— Anthony Guglielmi (@SecretSvcSpox) July 14, 2024

Did Trump get shot?

Trump has since posted on his Truth Social platform that the bullet pierced the upper part of his right ear. "I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin," he said.

"Much bleeding took place, so I realised then what was happening."

A further statement from the Trump campaign said the former US president was doing well after the incident and "looks forward to joining you all in Milwaukee as we proceed with our convention to nominate him to serve as the 47th President of the United States".

President Biden's response to the Trump shooting.

Addressing the nation about two hours after the shooting, current US President Joe Biden said "everybody must condemn" the suspected assassination attempt on Trump. The White House says Biden has now spoken to his 2024 presidential rival.

Biden said he was grateful that Trump is reportedly "doing well", and promised to update the public. "We cannot allow this to be happening," he said.

"It's sick."

Witness reports from the Trump rally shooting.

The Biden campaign said it was pausing all messaging to supporters and working to pull down all of its television ads as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, Trump has been released from the hospital and left the area.

Ron Moose, a Trump supporter who was in the crowd, described the chaos during the event.

"I heard about four shots and I saw the crowd go down and then Trump ducked also real quick. Then the Secret Service all jumped and protected him as soon as they could. We are talking within a second they were all protecting him."

Ron said he then saw a man running and being chased by officers in military uniforms. He said he heard additional shots, but was unsure who fired them. He noted that by then snipers had set up on the roof of a warehouse behind the stage.

The BBC interviewed a man who described himself as an eyewitness, saying he saw a man armed with a rifle crawling up a roof near the event. The person told the BBC he and the people he was with started pointing at the man, trying to alert security.

After the incident, the venue was abandoned with chairs knocked over and yellow police tape around the stage. A helicopter flew above and law enforcement officers walked through the area, the video feed showed. Armed law enforcement officers were also seen on a roof near the stage where Trump was standing.

Trump and Biden are locked in a close election rematch, with most opinion polls including Reuters/Ipsos showing the two evenly matched.

Trump, who served as president from 2017 to 2021, easily bested his rivals for the Republican nomination early in the campaign and has largely unified around him the party that had briefly wavered in support after his supporters attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, attempting to overturn his 2020 election defeat.

The attack was the most serious attempt to assassinate a president or presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981.

 - With AAP and DPA.