Trump Shot at During Campaign Rally, Suspect Dead

 Former President Donald Trump was injured in the ear during a shooting incident at a campaign rally on Saturday, in an attempted assassination that has raised concerns about political instability ahead of the upcoming presidential election.

The 78-year-old former president was seen with blood on his face following the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania. The suspect, as well as one bystander, was killed, and two other attendees sustained serious injuries.

Trump, who is running for president again in the upcoming November election, confirmed that he had been shot in the ear.

"I was hit by a bullet that went through the top of my right ear," he wrote on his platform, Truth Social. "It is unbelievable that this would happen in our country."

Trump's campaign stated that he was "okay" after Secret Service agents whisked him off the stage following the sound of gunfire at the packed rally.

"President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act," said Stephen Cheung, Trump's spokesperson, in a statement. "He is okay and is being checked out at a local medical facility. Further details will be released as they become available."

Video footage from the scene showed Trump raising his fist as he was escorted off the stage, with blood visible on his ear.

Trump had just begun his speech in Butler when the incident occurred. Television footage showed panic spreading through the front rows of the rally after a series of gunshots.

A statement posted on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) said that the U.S. Secret Service had neutralized the shooter at Trump's rally, and that the attacker, now deceased, had fired multiple shots towards the stage from an elevated position outside the rally.

Anthony Guglielmi, the Secret Service's Chief of Communications, stated that "the U.S. Secret Service responded swiftly with protective measures and the former president is safe and undergoing an evaluation. One attendee has been confirmed deceased, two others sustained serious injuries, and the incident remains under investigation. The Secret Service has formally notified the FBI."

Authorities have confirmed that the FBI is investigating the attempted assassination of the former president in Pennsylvania. A spokesperson said that the FBI is not yet ready to release the identity of the shooter who injured Trump in the ear, nor do they know the motive behind the attack that resulted in one death and two injuries.

"We witnessed what we are calling an attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump," the spokesperson added during a press conference this evening.

Richard Goldinger, the District Attorney of Butler County, Pennsylvania, confirmed on CNN that the suspect who fired shots during the Trump rally was outside the location of the outdoor event.

"I don't know how he got there... but he was outside," Goldinger said, adding that he did not have information about the suspect's identity.

Trump is campaigning to return to the White House in the upcoming presidential election against incumbent President Joe Biden.

The White House confirmed that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had been briefed on the incident.