Former US President Donald Trump was shot during an election rally in Pennsylvania. US officials have stated that the shots were fired at him "with the intention of killing Trump".

Trump, the candidate for the upcoming November election from the Republican Party, was the target of an attack while he was addressing supporters in Butler, Pennsylvania. Former President Trump was shot by a 20-year-old youth from the roof of an industrial building about 130 meters away. After the shooting, Trump was seen bleeding from his ear. Immediately afterwards, security officers rushed to save him, live television showed. After the

incident, Secret Service officials surrounded Trump. Several gunshots were heard before the security forces brought the situation under control. As the situation came under control, Trump was escorted out of the rally venue. During that, Trump raised his fist and encouraged his supporters. Trump's spokesman said he was treated at a local health center. After that, he has been taken home to New Jersey.

photos : AP

Officials say one person was killed and two others were injured in the shooting. According to security officials, all three are adult males. The FBI has identified the suspect who shot Trump as Thomas Crooks. According to Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi, the suspected assailant was shot dead by an officer. The 20-year-old is said to be a resident of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. Bethal Park is about 70 km from the venue.

The suspect was not carrying any identification at the time of the attack and investigators have formally identified him through DNA. After the incident, law enforcement officers raided Crooks' home. Citing officials, CNN and AP reported that some explosive devices were found in his home and vehicle. The US Department of Defense, the Pentagon, stated that Crooks, the attacker, did not have a military background. 

It is reported that Crooks, who was born on September 20, 2003, has no previous criminal record. Crooks' father, 53-year-old Matthew Crooks, spoke to CNN and said that he was trying to understand the latest situation. Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022. "Our school will fully coordinate with the authorities to investigate the incident," the school said in a statement. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review newspaper, Crooks previously received a $500 award from the National Math and Science Initiative, including the Star Award.

Officials have reported that 'AR-15' was recovered from the scene. It is said that the weapon was legally purchased by Crooks' father, Matthew. The semi-automatic light rifle is also called 'America's rifle' as it has been used in many mass shootings in the US.

A rifle that normally fires 5.56mm rounds is of NATO standard. According to authorities, Crooks, who was armed with a semi-automatic rifle, climbed to an elevated position not far from the scene and opened fire. The FBI released a statement saying it was investigating the attack on Trump as an "attempted murder." In a press conference, FBI Field Officer Kevin Rozek said that the shooting was being treated as an attempt to kill Trump.

In his social network Truth Social, Trump stated that the bullet pierced the "upper part" of his right ear. As soon as I heard the sound of the needle, I thought something was wrong. I felt the bullet go through the skin of my ear,' he wrote, 'after a lot of blood flowed, I realized what happened.' He urged Americans to "stay united." A monitoring committee of the US Parliament said, "America needs answers", and it is reported that the director of the Secret Service has been called for questioning. Pennsylvania police say there is no further danger after the shooting. However, Vice President Kamala Harris has suspended her campaign. Due to the deadly attack in Pennsylvania, the election campaign scheduled for Tuesday in Florida has been postponed.

In the US, shootings at the president or politicians are not new. Since its independence in 1776, there have been incidents of shootings of presidents, former presidents, vice presidents and politicians in the United States. Some of them have died and some have been injured. So far, four US presidents have been killed by gunfire. Abraham Lincoln is the first US president to be assassinated. Born on February 12, 1809, Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865. Actor John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln in the head when he went to see the play "Our American Cousin" at Foder's Theater in Washington, DC.

After that, a 9-hour effort to save Lincoln was unsuccessful. Lincoln died the morning after the attack local time. A section of the society, including actor Booth, had great dissatisfaction with the reforms and some of the decisions made by Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States. Due to which he was killed in a planned manner. Under the leadership of Wilkes, he wanted to wake up the Confederate States of America by eliminating three key figures in the government.

For that, Lewis Paul and David Herald were assigned for the assassination of Secretary of State William H. Seward and George Atzerodt for the assassination of Vice President Andrew Johnson. However, the plan was not completely successful. Secretary of State Seward was wounded, and it was said that he had not mustered the courage to assassinate Johnson. Booth, who fled after shooting at Lincoln, was killed in police action 12 days later. Powell, Harold, Atzerodt, and Mary Surratt, who were involved in the scheme, were sentenced to death.

Lincoln freed everyone by removing slavery from the US Constitution. In addition, because of his wise decisions, America, which was on the verge of division due to the Civil War, remained united. Lincoln played a major role in strengthening the federal government and modernizing the American economy.

Similarly, the 20th President of the United States, James A. Garfield, was also assassinated. Born in 1831, Garfield became president on March 4, 1881. But less than four months after he became president, he was shot. He was shot at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington DC. He died two and a half months later on September 19, 1881. Charles J. Guiteau, who shot Garfield, was sentenced to death a year later.

Another American president to be killed while in office is William McKinley. 25th US President McKinley was president from March 4, 1897 to September 14, 1901. Born on January 29, 1843, McKinley was assassinated in Buffalo, New York. He was assassinated six months after being elected for a second term. President McKinley was shot twice in the stomach by Leon Cholgos while he was shaking hands with the crowd. He died a week later.

The 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, was also assassinated. Born on May 29, 1917, John F. Kennedy was elected President of the United States on November 8, 1960 at the age of 43. Kennedy, who had been president since January 20, 1961, was assassinated on November 22, 1963. Kennedy was shot dead by sharpshooter Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas. He is considered to be the most popular president of America so far. Similarly, there was an assassination attempt on Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States. He was shot while giving a speech in Miami. Roosevelt was unharmed in the incident, but Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak was killed.

33rd President Harry S. Truman also escaped the assassination attempt. He was attacked while sitting in the White House. A White House policeman and the attacker were killed in the attack. 

The former president of the United States, Gerald Ford, survived two assassination attempts. The 38th President Ford was assassinated twice within a few weeks in 1975.

Similarly, the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, was shot on March 30, 1981. Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Jr. while returning from an event at the Hilton Hotel in Washington. President Reagan was wounded by the gunfire. Of the six rounds fired by Hinckley, only one hit Reagan. He returned to work after 12 days of treatment at George Washington University Hospital. Similarly, US President George W. Bush was assassinated in Georgia in 2005.