BEAUMONT, Texas — Saturday evening, July 13, several shots rang out from the crowd as former President Donald Trump was giving a speech during his rally in Pennsylvania.
Multiple shots were heard, then the former president was seen clutching his ear before dropping down to the floor, quickly being covered by Secret Service agents.
Briefly after the incident, Trump stood back up and signaled to the crowd before being quickly whisked away by Secret Service agents.
Former President Trump's campaign has released a statement saying that he is "fine", however the shooter and at least one bystander are dead.
In response to the shooting, chairman of the Democratic Party of Jefferson County Joseph Trahan has released a statement.
"I am deeply disturbed by the violent incident that occurred at former president Donald Trump's campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania," said Trahan "Acts of violence, particularly in the political arena, are unacceptable and have no place in our society. Today, we are reminded of the critical need for civility and respect in our political discourse."
Trahan goes on to discuss the importance of solving problems through dialogue not violence, as well as extending thoughts and prayers to former President Trump, his family, and all those affected by this incident.
12News also spoke to chairman of the Republican Party of Jefferson County Joe Evans about the incident.
"I was surprised, I was really shocked, and ultimately afraid and disappointed that we've moved back in history to a time where we try to assassinate public officials, " said Evans.
Evans also spoke about the political climate around the country at this time.
"I think ultimately this comes from hate speech, vitriol, and just extremism. I think that this is just the perfect storm for something bad to happen and we saw that play out tonight. We've become so polarized and we just don't understand the danger of hate speech that is infused into political speech, and I think that this is a byproduct of what we've been seeing for the last four or five years. Sometimes the hate gets the best of us and this is what we see," said Evans.
Speaker Dade Phelan also released a statement regarding the incident.
“My thoughts and prayers are with President Trump and the other reported victims following this assassination attempt. This is a dark day in American history. There is simply no room for hate, violence, or the vitriolic rhetoric that leads to such actions in our political discourse. I commend the brave actions of the Secret Service and law enforcement for their swift response and commitment to protecting our leaders. We must unite as a nation to denounce such acts and uphold the values of peace and respect, may President Trump be back on his feet soon.”
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