Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump. — Photo:AP
New York: Despite being injured in a shooting at a rally in Butler in the US State of Pennsylvania, former US President Donald Trump’s campaign said he will attend the Republican National Convention next week as scheduled.
In a joint statement, Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee said the former President “is doing well” and “looks forward to joining you all in Milwaukee as we proceed with our convention”, reported Xinhua news agency.
The Republican National Convention will convene in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 15-18, during which Trump is expected to be officially nominated as the party’s Presidential candidate for the November 5 election. Gunshots were fired at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday evening when Trump was delivering a speech.
Screams were heard from the crowd and Trump was seen with blood on the side of his head and his ear, video footage showed. He was quickly escorted into a vehicle before his motorcade left the venue. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said he was shot with a bullet “that pierced the upper part of my 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,” he added. Trump noted that one person was killed at the rally, and another badly injured, adding that he wanted to extend condolences to their families.
In a statement on X, the US Secret Service said that during Trump’s rally in Butler, a suspected shooter fired “multiple shots” toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue. Secret Service agents “neutralised the shooter, who is now deceased,” and the former President “is safe,” the statement said, adding that one spectator was killed and two others were critically injured.