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A Terrible New Era of Political Violence in America
The attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, sent shock waves across the United States and immediately raised fears about the growing threat of political violence.
Trump was speaking to supporters when gunfire suddenly erupted. Secret Service agents rushed toward the former president and surrounded him as he was taken from the stage. Trump suffered an injury to his right ear and was seen with blood on his face, but his campaign said he was safe and receiving medical attention.
The attack was far more deadly for others at the rally. One spectator, Corey Comperatore, was killed, while two other people were critically injured. The suspected gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by Secret Service agents. The FBI subsequently investigated the shooting as an assassination attempt against Trump.
Trump later described being struck by a bullet that pierced the upper portion of his right ear. Despite the chaos, he briefly raised his fist as security officers moved him away from the stage. The image quickly became one of the defining photographs of the 2024 presidential campaign.