FBI calling shooting at Trump rally 'an assassination attempt': Official

WASHINGTON

The FBI said late Saturday that it has yet to identify the shooter in an attack against former President Donald Trump is what the bureau is calling "an assassination attempt."

Trump was hit in his right ear and is fine following the shooting at his rally in the US state of Pennsylvania.

"We're calling an assassination attempt against our former President Donald Trump,” Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, told reporters in Butler. “We have a number of agents on scene."

The FBI official said authorities are working to identify the attacker and any motives behind the incident.

Rojek appealed to the American public for assistance to get any information to help the investigation.

Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social that "it is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead. I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear."

The initial moments of the shooting began with gunshots being heard. Moments later, Trump was seen raising his hand to the right side of his head that had a bloodied right ear as he was being whisked from the stage, footage showed.

Trump's spokesperson Steven Cheung said the former president “is fine” after the shooting.

"President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act. He is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility," he said in a statement.

The Secret Service said the shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position from outside the venue. In addition to the shooter, one spectator is dead and two others were critically injured. The shooter reportedly used an AR-15-style rifle.

US President Joe Biden said, "There’s no place in America for this kind of violence," at a news conference in the state of Delaware. "It’s sick, it’s one of the reasons we have to unite this country.”

Biden said: "Everybody must condemn" the shooting, adding that "the idea that there’s political violence or violence in America like this is just unheard of, is just not appropriate."

The Biden campaign is "pausing all outbound communications and working to pull down our television ads as quickly as possible" following the shooting, said a campaign official.

The White House said the president spoke to Trump, without providing details.