FORMER US President Donald Trump has said he was shot in the ear during a rally in Pennsylvania.
Mr Trump, who is running for re-election, was addressing a crowd in the city of Butler when several shots rang out.
A spectator at the rally has been killed while two others were seriously injured.
The shooter, who has been identified by the FBI as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was shot and killed by the Secret Service.
Following the incident, the FBI described the shooting as an assassination attempt.
'I was shot'
Shortly before 5.15pm, Mr Trump was addressing the rally when the first shot was heard.
As the former president raised his hand to his right ear, further shots were fired before Mr Trump was bundled to the ground by Secret Service agents.
Around a minute later, as he was ushered off the podium, Mr Trump raised a clenched fist to the crowd.
On social media, the former president said his thoughts were with the family of the spectator who was killed.
Trump raised his fist to the crowd as he departed (Image: REBECCA DROKE/AFP via Getty Images)"I want to thank The United States Secret Service, and all of Law Enforcement, for their rapid response on the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania," he wrote.
"Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the Rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured."
He added: "I 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."
'No place for violence'
In a statement, current president Joe Biden condemned the assassination attempt.
"I'm grateful to hear that he's safe and doing well," said the President.
"I'm praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information.
"Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety.
"There's no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it."
The bloodied former president was taken from the scene in an SUV (Image: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)Speaking after the shooting, the FBI's Kevin Rojek confirmed the incident was being treated as an assassination attempt.
"This evening we had what we're calling an assassination attempt against our former President, Donald Trump," said the Special Agent in charge of the Pittsburgh Field Office.
"It's still an active crime scene — as I mentioned, we have a number of agents on scene.
"We also our working closely with other federal agencies, our state partners and our local police partners as well."
At the same press conference, Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police said his agency would take the lead on investigating the shootings of the spectators, while the FBI would lead on the assassination attempt.
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