Trump to attend Republican National Convention next week despite injury in rally shooting

New York:  Despite being injured in a shooting at a rally in Butler in the US state of Pennsylvania, former US President Donald Trump’s campaign said he will attend the Republican National Convention next week as scheduled.

In a joint statement, Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee said the former president “is doing well” and “looks forward to joining you all in Milwaukee as we proceed with our convention”, reported Xinhua news agency.

The Republican National Convention will convene in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 15-18, during which Trump is expected to be officially nominated as the party’s presidential candidate for the November 5 election.

Gunshots were fired at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday evening when Trump was delivering a speech.

Screams were heard from the crowd and Trump was seen with blood on the side of his head and his ear, video footage showed. He was quickly escorted into a vehicle before his motorcade left the venue.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said he was shot with a bullet “that pierced the upper part of my right ear.”

“I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin,” he said.

“Much bleeding took place, so I realised then what was happening,” he added.

Trump noted that one person was killed at the rally, and another badly injured, adding that he wanted to extend condolences to their families.

In a statement on X, the US Secret Service said that during Trump’s rally in Butler, a suspected shooter fired “multiple shots” toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue.

Secret Service agents “neutralized the shooter, who is now deceased,” and the former president “is safe,” the statement said, adding that one spectator was killed and two others were critically injured.

“The incident is currently under investigation,” the statement added.

The shooting incident is being investigated as an attempted assassination, law enforcement officials said.

US President Joe Biden condemned the shooting on Saturday.

“There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it,” he said on X.

In remarks released by the White House, Biden said he had been thoroughly briefed on the incident.

“I have tried to get a hold of Donald. He’s with his doctors, he’s doing well,” Biden said.

Biden spoke with Trump in the wake of the shooting incident, according to the White House.

Biden, who was returning to the White House from Delaware to monitor the situation, said there is no place in the country for this kind of violence.

“We cannot allow this to be happening. We cannot be like this. We cannot condone this, Everybody must condemn it,” Biden said.

–IANS