Latest on assassination attempt: Trump in 'great spirits,' motive not yet determined
CTV
A barrage of gunfire set off panic, and a bloodied Trump, who said he was shot in the ear, was surrounded by U.S. Secret Service and hurried to his SUV as he pumped his fist in a show of defiance.
On the heels of an apparent attempt to kill him, former U.S. president Donald Trump called Sunday for unity and resilience as shocked leaders across the political divide recoiled from the shooting that left him injured but "fine" and the gunman and a rally-goer dead.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee said the upper part of his right ear was pierced in the shooting. His aides said he was in "great spirits" and doing well.
"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 wrote on his social media site. "Much bleeding took place."
In a subsequent post Sunday, Trump said, "It was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening."
"In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win," his post said.
The FBI early Sunday identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as it pressed its investigation.
Secret Service agents fatally shot Crooks. The gunman attacked from an elevated position outside the rally venue at a farm show in Butler, the agency said.
