President Joe Biden released his first statement on the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday afternoon.
“I’m grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well,” read the statement, which was released about an hour and a half after Trump was hurt when shots rang out while he was speaking on stage.
“I’m praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information,” the White House’s statement continued. “Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety.”
“There’s no place for this kind of violence in America,” it went on. “We must unite as one nation to condemn it.”
Biden spoke to the press not long after the White House issued its initial statement.
During the meeting, the president said: “There’s no place in America for this kind of violence, it’s sick.”
He told reporters he had tried to contact Trump and hoped to “speak to him tonight.” The president noted that Trump was receiving medical care and “apparently he’s doing well.”
Asked if he thought Trump was targeted by an assassination attempt, Biden said: “I have an opinion but I don’t have any facts.”
The Associated Press reports that law enforcement is investigating the shooting as an apparent assassination attempt.
In a statement, Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said that “a suspected shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue” before they were “neutralized” by Secret Service personnel.
The suspect is reported to be dead, along with one rally attendee. Two other spectators were critically injured, according to Guglielmi’s statement.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
