he said: president biden spoke about the incident while in rehoboth beach, delaware. here's that address. i've been thoroughly briefed by all the agencies of the federal government

on the situation based on what we know now. i have tried to get a hold of donald. he is with his doctors. apparently, he is doing well. i plan on talking to them shortly — i hope. when i get back to the telephone. look, there's no place in america for this kind of violence. it's sick. it's one of the reasons why we have to unite this country. we cannot allow for this to be happening, we cannot be like this, we cannot condone this. and so, i want to thank the secret service and all of the agencies, including the state agencies, have engaged in making sure that the people — we have more detail to come relative to other people may be injured in the audience. i don't have all the detail, we will make that available to you and may be able to come back a little later tonight, but we will put out a statement if we don't, if i'm not able to everyone if it's not convenient for you. but the bottom line

is that the trump rally is a rally that he should have been able to conduct peacefully without any problem. but the idea — the idea that this political violence or violence in america like this is just unheard of. it's just not appropriate. everybody — everybody must condemn it — everybody. i will keep you informed and if i may well speak to donald, i will let you know that as well. so far, it appears he is doing well, number one. number two — that there is thoroughly investigating what is happening to anyone else in the audience. i have — we have some reports, but not final reports. every agency in the federal government — and i'm going back to my phone to speak with the federal agencies that have been put together again to give you an updated briefing if anything has happened, they are learning any more in the last couple of hours. so thank you very much and i hope i get to speak to him tonight and i will get back to you if i do, 0k? mr president, do you think this was an assassination attempt? i don't know enough to...

i have an opinion, but i don't have any facts, so i want to make sure we have all the facts before i make some comment, any more comments, thank you. the president speaking from delaware. earlier, my colleague, carl nasman, spoke to bbc senior north america correspondent gary o'donoghue who was reporting on the rally in pennsylvania. it has been a long day for you. it has been a long day for you. it is now reaching nighttime. you can still see those police vehicles behind you. what is the sense you were getting right now? you said it would be a long night and a long investigation. i a long night and a long investigation.— a long night and a long investiuation. ~ ., , investigation. i think that is ri . ht. investigation. i think that is right. there _ investigation. i think that is right. there are _ investigation. i think that is right. there are a _ investigation. i think that is right. there are a lot - investigation. i think that is right. there are a lot of- right. there are a lot of questions that the secret service and the police will want answered and i have no doubt at all that this will be an fbi operation. we were told the police —— place was being cleared for the fbi because it is now an attempted assassination, we know that. and that is an extraordinary thing to have to say about

america in 202a. an attempted assassination on a political leader in this country. that is something the americans will have to absorb. they will want to know about the. bots will be read and said about his background, his motivation. we do know from one of our own eyewitnesses who we spoke to in the immediate aftermath of what had happened that he saw a man climbing onto the roof, that white roof and that building just a few hundred feet from where donald trump was speaking, he saw him with a rifle. he tried to alert the security services, he didn't do that. they were slightly taken up that. they were slightly taken up with moving someone else on at the time. was on the ground. they were occupied with doing that. so they might have been a distraction. we don't know at this point in time but that is an interesting detail we have learned in the last few minutes that they were engaged in trying to move someone else on the ground. i have been

distracted and not seen the guy on the roof, apparently with the automatic rifle. the secret service now confirming he fired a number of shots, he was neutralised, killed by them in return fire and you can hear on the video two separate bursts of gunfire will stop then panicked and sued in the crowd and you see these striking pictures of donald trump grasping at the side of his head, the blood. then to the floor, he is told to go to go to the floor by the secret service, a pile on top of him and then they take him away. we have seen some reaction from the president, democrats have talked about putting some of our campaigning material now, a suspension if you like in the campaign. people try and work out what this means notjust for this campaign, but what this means for american politics and going forward, because the stakes are incredibly high here. we spoke to people, this was their first rally they had been to, one

teenage boy colby lives two miles down the road. his first—ever rally. he people carried off in stretches and ambulances and sees a man shot on the roof. it is a shocking, shocking night in america you were outside of this rally when you heard those shots ringing out, you were speaking to eyewitnesses.— out, you were speaking to eyewitnesses. can you take us back to that — eyewitnesses. can you take us back to that moment - eyewitnesses. can you take us back to that moment and - eyewitnesses. can you take usj back to that moment and what eyewitnesses. can you take us l back to that moment and what it was like to be there and you hear those shots at a campaign rally of a former president? i have to tell you that it was immediately clear what was happening. we were talking to some of our colleagues on the bbc world service while this speech was going on, and while we were going live with them, we were going live with them, we heard this volley, and it was clearly gunfire. it was about... difficult tojudge, about... difficult to judge, but about... difficult tojudge, but about 100 metres away possibly, and it wasn't... there was no mistake, it didn't sound like a car backfiring or

anything like that, it sounded like that familiar crack of automatic gunfire. there are a number of shots and i certainly think i heard six or eight at least in that first volley. we can now hear from the video there were more. really, as soon as that happens, the panic and student inside the events, people started screaming out, people started screaming out, people were running, some people were running, some people were running, some people were on the floor. people didn't know what was happening. the president as you know was bundled off eventually. really took a while before it became clear that there was no other threat, there was no other threat, there was no other threat, there was talk in the immediate aftermath of their being possibly a bomb somewhere. that didn't turn out to be true as far as we know. but there was certainly talk that they may have been a bomb somewhere around, but they were looking for. as far as we can tell, that wasn't true. but there are lots of questions a lot of questions notjust about lots of questions a lot of questions not just about the event, but about the future of the debate in america. it was

unquestionably the political temperature here has been raised steadily incrementally, radically over the last few years, and this is where we are. ., ., ., ., are. you are someone who has covered the — are. you are someone who has covered the united _ are. you are someone who has covered the united states - covered the united states politics here for many, many years. what do you make of this moment that we are seeing right now? i moment that we are seeing right now? , ~ , now? ijust think it is incredibly _ now? ijust think it is incredibly sad... - now? ijust think it is incredibly sad... you | now? i just think it is - incredibly sad... you have now? i just think it is _ incredibly sad... you have been s-ueakin incredibly sad... you have been speaking with — incredibly sad... you have been speaking with so _ incredibly sad... you have been speaking with so many - incredibly sad... you have been speaking with so many people i speaking with so many people there. , , ., ., there. this is a great country... _ there. this is a great country... go - there. this is a great country... go ahead. there. this is a great l country... go ahead. it there. this is a great - country... go ahead. it is a treat country... go ahead. it is a great country. _ country... go ahead. it is a great country. it _ country... go ahead. it is a great country. it regards i great country. it regards itself as an exceptional country. the exceptional country, as a beacon in the world, a beacon for democracy, a beacon of freedom around the world, a beacon forfree expression, free trade perhaps in the past, all those kinds of things, and here we are, in a

farm showground in western rural pennsylvania, and people are taking pot shots at political leaders. people are attempting to assassinate political leaders. whatever you think of them, what on earth is going on? what on earth is going on? what on earth is going on? what on earth is going on? there is a malaise that everyone has a responsibility for here, not just politicians, everyone has a responsibility for the malaise that has set in, and it has culminated perhaps, it has not accommodated yet, perhaps it isn't the end of it, who knows, but we have got to a point where the country that regards itself as the most civilised country in the world is looking at political assassination attempts. there is a clearly _ assassination attempts. there is a clearly a _ assassination attempts. there is a clearly a concern - assassination attempts. there is a clearly a concern right - is a clearly a concern right now that this could escalate, as you mentioned, that there could be some sort of retaliation. i want to ask you briefly because you have been speaking with people there and i think you are picking up on

some of the emotion and anger amongst from supporters. we have seen nearly all of the former now coming out and urging for calm. what needs to happen now in order to make sure that this does not spiral, doesn't escalate? it sure that this does not spiral, doesn't escalate?— doesn't escalate? it needs leadership. _ doesn't escalate? it needs leadership, doesn't - doesn't escalate? it needs leadership, doesn't it? - doesn't escalate? it needs. leadership, doesn't it? that doesn't escalate? it needs - leadership, doesn't it? that is what it needs. these things always need leadership, and thatis always need leadership, and that is a very delicate thing because sometimes leadership means following public opinion. at other times it means leading public opinion and it will require some kind of bipartisan cross—party effort to do that, which seems a long way off in america right now, doesn't it? you heard a lot of anger from those people coming up, some of them used the phrase civil war to me, talking about civil war, which is an incredibly emotive phrase in this country, as you know. some of them were incredibly sad, some of them proud one owner said we have to do something about this, we can't give these guns to

lunatics. so there was a range of emotions, but a sort of desperation for some kind of understanding about how to things like this happening. we are notjust... 0ne things like this happening. we are notjust... one of your guests earlier on was talking about the vegas shooting. i was at the vegas shooting. i was also at the shooting 30 miles up also at the shooting 30 miles up the road here in pitt burke at the tree of life synagogue. i have had it with american shootings to be honest, but this seems to be a moment where... a rubric and has been crossed, and we would have had tonight another former president dead, tonight anotherformer president dead, quite simply we could have had anotherformer president dead. could have had another former president dead.— president dead. yes, that is the gravity _ president dead. yes, that is the gravity of _ president dead. yes, that is the gravity of the _ president dead. yes, that is the gravity of the moment. | president dead. yes, that is - the gravity of the moment. just the gravity of the moment. just looking ahead now, we are hearing from the republican party that the rnc convention on monday does plan to go forward. what are you expecting do you think now, how will this change the campaign? there is a

really if it does not really big event happening just on monday. we heard joe biden had decided to pause his campaign and so this could potentially have a drastic effect on what has really been a very tense presidential campaign. look, i think there — presidential campaign. look, i think there are _ presidential campaign. look, i think there are some - presidential campaign. look, i think there are some big - think there are some big decisions to be made. clearly, they are going to go ahead with they are going to go ahead with the rnc and that is their right. the messaging and the tone of how they do that will be incredibly important. i am sure some will be tempted to weaponised, if i could put it like that, this kind of event political and, and some will want to do that unquestionably. and the question is does is at the right thing to do? is that the right thing to do? is that the right thing for the country? we willjust have to wait and see how that works out. just after the shooting happened, there was a mobile billboard on a truckjust parked outside the perimeter thatjust parked outside the perimeter that just appeared all of a

sudden with a big picture of donald trump ausmat face on it with a target, and it said something like in terms, democrats attempted dissemination —— attempted assassination, donald trump. she is at —— if that is where we headed, then we are headed for trouble. we headed, then we are headed fortrouble. hopefully we headed, then we are headed for trouble. hopefully is it a bit more of a civilised reaction than that. a moment when people stop and think and try to put an end to the rhetoric and to the divisiveness that there is in this country. i am not hopeful, i am not particularly hopeful 0mar sy. but there is an opportunity in this tragedy, and let's bear in mind that someone has lost their life tonight, two people have lost their life tonight, one shooter, one person in the crowd, and there are two people fighting for their lives in hospital. gary 0'donoghue reporting through the course of the evening from that rally in butt lift county —— butler county, pennsylvania. we are learning more from the police, a press

conference is set to get under way fairly shortly with the fbi there in attendance. i am just here in austria with my colleague correspondent tom bateman. it was remarkable watching the reporting and eyewitnesses and a picture of what unfolded over the course of the evening. what the course of the evening. what stood out to _ the course of the evening. what stood out to you? _ the course of the evening. what stood out to you? it _ the course of the evening. what stood out to you? it is - stood out to you? it is significant, watching one of the eyewitnesses that gary spoke to, which appears to tally with at least one other eyewitness our colleagues at cbs have spoken to and other parts of the picture emerging. but he had said was he had seen somebody crawling along with the rooftop, that he had spoken to the police but appeared to get a bit of a response that did not give a sense of total urgency. another witness who spoke to cbs saying something similar, the police appeared to

be aware that there was a suspicious character around and on the rooftop and this person said he was also watching this unfold. the key point is and this is what the first witness said that spoke to gary, why wasn't donald trump pulled from the stage because he was speaking when the shot rang out. according to these eyewitnesses and to remember these situations are always chaotic and people might this interpret things. but the suggestion from them at least, those two men come is they could have been an opportunity perhaps to pull mr trump from the stage and was that opportunity taken? all these opportunity ta ken? all these issues opportunity taken? all these issues will be looked at as we await for this police press conference. but they will start to become more acute. the footage. —

to become more acute. the footage, watching - to become more acute. the footage, watching that, people did appear very quickly to realise what had happened. shots were fired or we do not know what that noise was. people ducked very quickly, probably due to the nature in this country where shootings do take place. but now as the investigation unfolds, surely it would be important the details become public fairly quickly to restore confidence in the population and president biden with a large task ahead of him? ~ , ,., , biden with a large task ahead of him? ~ , ., of him? absolutely. there are two strands — of him? absolutely. there are two strands to _ of him? absolutely. there are two strands to this _ of him? absolutely. there are two strands to this as - of him? absolutely. there are two strands to this as we - of him? absolutely. there are two strands to this as we hearj two strands to this as we hear from the law enforcement authorities now. one is about the response. what took place. was everything done that could have been done? the second will be around what we know to be the gunman who was shot dead and killed and his identity and that will be a critical element of how this case moves forward. what gary was saying, around

this bleeding into this angry and divisive contest because all eyes will focus on who this person was and what the agenda was. what we were the motivations. we will expect this to unfold over the next 2a hours or so. this to unfold over the next 24 hours or se— this to unfold over the next 24 hours or so-— hours or so. obviously, this ha en hours or so. obviously, this happen at _ hours or so. obviously, this happen at a _ hours or so. obviously, this happen at a political- hours or so. obviously, this happen at a political rally i hours or so. obviously, this. happen at a political rally but in the context of this happening, four months out from the election, this is going to have a huge bearing and on top of that, you are very familiar with the levels of security, at the state department for example, really we can expect this to be heightened even further? i this to be heightened even further? ., this to be heightened even further? ~ ., , further? i think so and it is alwa s further? i think so and it is always after— further? i think so and it is always after these - further? i think so and it is always after these events, | always after these events, heightened security, in the end, there is a baseline level of security that takes place especially around government events and in a sense, it can

be quite hard to add to it even more because you would expect it to be at this heightened level of the time, especially in a country with 300 million pounds and so on. what it does is add to the environment people are going to be extremely nervous and twitchy. —— gun. we have been talking about an added sense of nervousness in a febrile environment, it can deepen the crisis as we had towards the election. this, as we have been saying tonight, feels like yet another negative watershed in this country, as we go towards the election campaign and i think the key thing politically is going to be around, we had so many messages across the political aisle, so many messages across the politicalaisle, many, many political aisle, many, many politicians politicalaisle, many, many politicians talking about utter condemnation, political violence unacceptable, trying

effectively to restore some sense of calm but as gary was saying, we heard about the billboard that was wheeled out and in this context it might be hard to keep a lid on things. to that point and as we await the press conference in delaware. the president came out very quickly, as one would expect, trying to show that he's on top the situation. you were talking earlier about his language, the mayke referred to donald trump as donald. —— the way he referred to. his political rival but also a former president who has been the target of what appears to be an assassination attempt. he had to strike that tone. absolutely. the first thing a leader needs to do in this situation is create an atmosphere of civility and this is what clinical leadership needs to do to prevent any further dissent and it was

really important how he came out and did that really quickly in an attempt, on first name terms, saying there is a deeper level of connection between us as civilised human beings, civilised politicians, to try and stand what will inevitably be a further fracturing and further polarisation and the risk of yet more political violence. we have seen it in all sorts of form evolving over recent years and this year as well. and so the biden team would have felt it was particularly important to do that and how they keep striking that and how they keep striking that tone over the coming days is interesting to see. he was due to come back on the campaign trail on monday. to not only beat his presumptive opponent but try to convince his own party he should be their candidate. we have crisis already within the biden campaign, an extremely

fractious and argumentative and divisive environment already and now this. i divisive environment already and now this.— divisive environment already and now this. i cannot think of many other— and now this. i cannot think of many other challenges - and now this. i cannot think of many other challenges and - many other challenges and situation quite like it, even historically speaking. tom, many thanks indeed. we were talking about the eyewitness picture we were able to build up picture we were able to build up over the course of the evening. in large part thanks to the reporting on the ground gary 0'donoghue. he was speaking to... all right, i'm just waiting because i believe have that local police conference with the fbi in place taking place now. let's take a listen to that. share place taking place now. let's take a listen to that.- take a listen to that. are we read ? is everyone ready? all right.

my is everyone ready? all right. my name is kevin road back —je k. i am my name is kevin road back —je k. iam in my name is kevin road back —je k. i am in charge of the fbi pittsburgh field office. the first thing i want to say is that the fbi sense of the people of butler county and our hearts go out to the victims of this heinous act which occurred today. this is a community and i want to let the public know that the fbi has employed a number of our resources, including investigative agents, evidence response team, bob technicians, and we have additional resources coming from other field officers as well as fbi headquarters. —— bomb. including our evidence

response from quantico, virginia. we have intelligence analysts as well in pittsburgh, working to identify the individual who did this and any motives behind why this was done. right now, we need the public�*s help. anyone who was on scene, who saw anything or identified any information, please, report that to the fbi using either the phone number one 800 call fbi or online at fbi dot guv/ butler. this evening we had what we are calling an assassination attempt against our former president, donald trump. it is still an active crime scene. as i mentioned, we have a number of agents on scene. we also are working closely with other federal agencies, working closely with other federalagencies, our working closely with other federal agencies, our state partners and local police

partners and local police partners as well. again, at this time, we are not prepared to identify who the shooter is. we are close to that identification and as soon as we are 100% confident in who that individual is, we will share it with the press. with that being said, also, we do not currently have an identified motive and our investigators are working tirelessly to attempt to identify what that motive was. at this time, i will turn over the podium to colonel chris paris on the pennsylvania state police. paris on the pennsylvania state olice. ., ., paris on the pennsylvania state olice. ., ~' ,, , paris on the pennsylvania state olice. . ~ ,, , . paris on the pennsylvania state olice. . ~ , . ~y police. thank you very much. my name is colonel _ police. thank you very much. my name is colonel chris _ police. thank you very much. my name is colonel chris parris, - name is colonel chris parris, commissioner of pennsylvania state — commissioner of pennsylvania state police and i would just like to — state police and i would just like to say that the state police _ like to say that the state police have been in regular contact _ police have been in regular contact with the governor's office — contact with the governor's office and the full support and assets —

office and the full support and assets of _ office and the full support and assets of the entire agencies are behind the fbi and other federal— are behind the fbi and other federal and municipal partners to assist— federal and municipal partners to assist in this investigation. the thoughts and prayers — investigation. the thoughts and prayers of the pennsylvania state — prayers of the pennsylvania state police are likewise with the victims of the terrible act — the victims of the terrible act we _ the victims of the terrible act. we are prepared to support this investigation in any way, shape — this investigation in any way, shape or— this investigation in any way, shape or form, and we stand ready— shape or form, and we stand ready to _ shape or form, and we stand ready to participate in a full, fair and _ ready to participate in a full, fair and competent ready to participate in a full, fairand competent and ready to participate in a full, fair and competent and thorough investigation. to give an operational rundown, deputy commissioner operation is behind _ commissioner operation is behind me and he will discuss it is conducted by the police. good — it is conducted by the police. good evening. let me describe to you a little bit about the scene that we have over there. as you know, there was a grandstand, a lot of people that when these all unfolded. the former president had come out and begun the speech early

after six o'clock this evening and within about 10—15 minutes, and within about 10—15 minutes, a number of sounds were heard and it became apparent that shots were being fired in that direction. the chaotic scene, law enforcement i believe acted heroically, quickly identifying and neutralising the threat, as well as responding to assist the various victims. psp had a significant presence on the scene, along with our federal partners at the time of the shooting. we have sent and enhanced that presents significantly, bringing resources from all of the commonwealth to ensure we have a speedy, sorrow investigation. we are working very closely with the fbi as we work through this. as you can imagine, because of the variety of crimes that have been committed, some are under federaljurisdiction, some

under state jurisdiction and we're working through all that. not an issue at all, we woke seamlessly, by the fbi has maintained a lead on the attempted assassination. psp will take the lead on the homicide and the shootings of the other individuals and the grandstand area. and so there are a lot of witnesses to be interviewed, a lot of things to be processed. there were some complicated is that hopefully the next time we speak we can describe for you. but they slowed down some of the processing and positive identification of the shooter but now at this time we have no reason to believe there is any other existing threat out there. we are doing everything we can to ensure this is thoroughly investigated and if there is any information developed that anyone else was

involved, the psp and fbi that will quickly be followed up. at this time we will open up to questions from all of you. reporter: inaudible. again, i think it is too _ reporter: inaudible. again, i think it is too early _ reporter: inaudible. again, i think it is too early to - reporter: inaudible. again, i think it is too early to say - think it is too early to say that. we have one shooter tentatively identified but we are not stopping there, we're following up on a lot of information and it will be some time until we can conclusively say or that question. inaudible.- say or that question. inaudible. ., ., , inaudible. that will all be art of inaudible. that will all be part of the _ inaudible. that will all be part of the investigation... | part of the investigation... crosstalk. that will be part of the investigation but i can tell you that preliminarily it appears everything unfolded very quickly. again, we will have more information on that

but it is just too early to start definitively saying if this happened at this exact time. ., , , . , time. inaudible time security at the building _ time. inaudible time security at the building inaudible. | time. inaudible time security i at the building inaudible. that is correct. we _ at the building inaudible. that is correct. we will _ at the building inaudible. triagii is correct. we will have that information for you. it was some distance outside. reporter: people who saw someone _ reporter: people who saw someone on _ reporter: people who saw someone on the _ reporter: people who saw someone on the roof- reporter: people who saw someone on the roof and i reporter: people who saw l someone on the roof and they tried _ someone on the roof and they tried to — someone on the roof and they tried to alert _ someone on the roof and they tried to alert police? - someone on the roof and they tried to alert police? i- someone on the roof and they tried to alert police?— tried to alert police? i am aware of _ tried to alert police? i am aware of those _ tried to alert police? i am aware of those and - tried to alert police? i am aware of those and we i tried to alert police? i am| aware of those and we will follow that up and i am aware that law enforcement had responded to a number of suspicious activity. the specific response to this will be part of the after action but yes, law enforcement responding to check on several suspicious occurrences. you said you are close to identifying the shooter. can you confirm that he is from butler_ you confirm that he is from butler county, pennsylvania? he

butler county, pennsylvania ? he have _ butler county, pennsylvania ? he have any — butler county, pennsylvania? he have any affiliation with that company, do you know? again, we are not repaired _ company, do you know? again, we are not repaired at _ company, do you know? again, we are not repaired at this _ company, do you know? again, we are not repaired at this time - are not repaired at this time to provide the identity of the potential shooter. we are in the process of doing the confirmation, and once we have the confirmation, we will release the name officially to the press, but at this time, we cannot give any more information. inaudible. it is a matter of doing biometric operations. there was no identification on the individual, as in, we're looking at photographs right now, trying run his dna and get biometric confirmation. you have a comment _ biometric confirmation. you have a comment on - biometric confirmation. you have a comment on what i biometric confirmation. you have a comment on what police found, — have a comment on what police found, left behind, any possible devices, extra guns, anything _ possible devices, extra guns, anything else? not possible devices, extra guns, anything else?— anything else? not at this time. anything else? not at this time- we _ anything else? not at this time. we are _ anything else? not at this time. we are still - anything else? not at this time. we are still in - anything else? not at this time. we are still in the i time. we are still in the process of an active investigation so we would like to reserve releasing any

information like that until we have more facts.