Good morning. We’ll get straight into the latest on the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, and you can find more headlines at the bottom of the newsletter.
The rally stage in Butler, Pa., on Saturday.Brendan McDermid/Reuters
Trump Rally Shooting
Violence in Pennsylvania
The latest
• During his address from the Oval Office last night, U.S. President Joe Biden said America needs to “lower the temperature in our politics” as he condemned the attack on former president Donald Trump.
• The 20-year-old kitchen worker who tried to kill Trump was the son of two behavioural health counsellors. Former classmates described Thomas Matthew Crooks as a quiet, accomplished student who was drawn to U.S. gun culture.
• The shooting may galvanize Trump’s supporters, but there’s no precedent for an event like this in the middle of a presidential campaign – so political consultants caution that public opinion will be hard to predict.
• Trump has arrived in Milwaukee, where the Republican National Convention kicks off today.
• Biden is to sit down as planned for an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt tonight, though the location has moved to the White House from Austin, Tex.
Trump is rushed offstage during the rally.Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The shooting
• At 6:12 p.m. on Saturday, minutes after Trump took the stage in Butler, Pa., multiple shots were fired from the roof of an office building just outside the venue. A member of the Secret Service killed the gunman. By 6:13 p.m., officers escorted Trump, his face bloodied, into a black SUV, which sped him to a nearby medical facility.
• Witnesses described chaos and confusion in the shooting’s aftermath. One woman told The Globe and Mail that she questioned why no Secret Service agents or snipers were on the nearby roof. Another man told the BBC he saw a man with a rifle “bear-crawling” on the roof before the shooting and tried to warn police.
• Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old volunteer firefighter and father, was killed at the rally. He reportedly dove on top of his wife and two daughters, sparing their lives as his was taken.
• David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74, were injured at the rally but are in stable condition.
The gunman
• The FBI identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks as the suspected shooter. Pennsylvania court records showed no past criminal cases against him. According to state voter records, Crooks was a registered Republican. The November election would have been the first time he was old enough to vote.
• FBI officials said they believe Crooks acted alone and are still seeking a motive. Investigators confirmed that an AR-15-style rifle, purchased legally, was used in the shooting.
• Law enforcement officials told Associated Press that they found materials to build explosive devices in a car belonging to Crooks. They discovered similar materials at his home.
The security
• In his initial remarks to the public on Sunday afternoon, Biden called for an “independent review” of the security measures that had been in place at the rally, and directed the Secret Service to review its plans for the Republican National Convention this week.
• Former RCMP chief superintendent Kevin Vickers told The Globe that security is like an onion: “The closer you get to your VIP or protected person, the tighter the skin.” Vickers believes a breakdown in the second or third layer of protection allowed the shooter to get so close to Trump.
State troopers outside the rally grounds yesterday.Cole Burston/The Globe and Mail
The response
• The attack was met with quick condemnation from leaders around the world and U.S. politicians across the aisle. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who said on social-media platform X that he was “sickened by the shooting,” spoke with Trump on Sunday.
• Misleading and false claims have spread rapidly online. There is no evidence that the Secret Service intentionally failed to protect Trump, or that the Trump campaign organized the shooting for political gain.
The Globe’s analysis
• For a fleeting but unforgettable instant, Konrad Yakabuski writes, Trump projected an image of bravery. Democrats are left almost helpless.
• Gun culture has always been a central, violent theme of America’s political climate, David Shribman says.
• In the wake of this assassination attempt, Stephen Marche says, two sides emerge: institutional preservation vs. chaotic revenge.
• Gus Carlson writes that at Mar-a-Lago, the Trump faithful see this assassination attempt as a Braveheart moment.
Visit globeandmail.com for the latest news and analysis as this story unfolds.
The Image
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Workers in Kamloops, B.C., this June.Marissa Tiel/The Globe and Mail
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The Wrap
What else we’re following
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Abroad: Hamas says it has not withdrawn from ceasefire talks, after Israeli airstrikes killed at least 90 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
On the pitch: Spain beat England 2-1 yesterday to take its fourth European Championship title. Wimbledon champ Carlos Alcaraz of Spain called it, telling the crowd – fresh off his straight-set win against Novak Djokovic – that it was “going to be a good day for Spanish people.”
In the pool: Swimmer Penny Oleksiak is Canada’s most-decorated Olympian – but after two years spent injured and away from competition, it’s been a rough path to Paris.