‘Deeply concerned by attack on my friend’: PM Modi condemns shooting at Donald Trump rally

NEW DELHI: Following the gunfire incident at the rally of former US President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ‘strongly condemned’ the incident, and said that there is ‘no place for violence in politics’.

PM Modi said that he was “deeply concerned by the attack on my friend, former President Donald Trump”. Taking to ‘X’, PM Modi wrote, “Deeply concerned by the attack on my friend, former President Donald Trump. Strongly condemn the incident. Violence has no place in politics and democracies. Wish him speedy recovery”.

Deeply concerned by the attack on my friend, former President Donald Trump. Strongly condemn the incident. Violence has no place in politics and democracies. Wish him speedy recovery.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the deceased, those injured and the American…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 14, 2024

The Prime Minister also condoled the loss of life during the Pennsylvania rally. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the deceased, those injured and the American people”, he added.

The gunfire incident, which comes months before the 2024 US presidential elections, disrupted Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, as reported by CBS News. Trump was immediately escorted off stage by US Secret Service agents and taken away in a motorcade.

In videos that went viral on social media, Trump could be seen bleeding from his right ear. One of the spectators also succumbed to the bullet injuries, as reported by CNN.

????????BREAKING NEWS: Donald Trump responded to his assassination attempt with bravery and pride. This is the strongest man in America. pic.twitter.com/XLT8tDTBFt

— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) July 13, 2024

Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump, in his first account of being shot at during a rally in Pennsylvania, has said that the bullet fired at him “pierced” the upper part of his right ear. Trump said that he immediately knew something was wrong.

He also thanked the US Secret Service and law enforcement for their rapid response to the shooting that just took place in Pennsylvania’s Butler. He also offered condolences to the family of a person who was killed at the rally and the person who was injured.

Trump was taken away in a motorcade. He held up a fist as he sat in the SUV. His motorcade departed Butler Memorial Hospital a little before 9:30 pm (local time), CBS News reported, citing two sources.It was unclear where Trump was headed. Initially, he was scheduled to travel to his estate in Bedminster, New Jersey, before travelling to Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, which is scheduled to begin on Monday.

In a statement, the US Secret Service said that a suspected shooter fired multiple shots towards the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue during Trump’s campaign rally in Butler on July 13 at 6:15 pm (local time). The US Secret Service personnel neutralised the shooter, who is now dead.

According to the statement, one spectator was killed and another was critically injured and the incident is being investigated. Political bigwigs, including President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Barack Obama, have also condemned the incident. (ANI)