U.S. President Joe Biden and Republican challenger ex-President Donald Trump each appealed to the country for unity late on July 14 following the shooting at a Pennsylvania campaign rally that injured Trump and killed a supporter, while Biden ordered an independent investigation into a security lapse that was likely to reshape the campaign ahead of the elections in November.
Biden said he had a "short but good" conversation with Trump, who was struck in the right ear when an alleged gunman identified by the FBI as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired at Trump and the crowd from a nearby rooftop before he was killed by Secret Service officers on July 13.
The FBI said it was still seeking a motive in the attack, which came two days ahead of the Republican convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where the opposition party is expected to officially nominate Trump on July 18.
The 78-year-old Trump has already arrived in Milwaukee for the start of the convention on July 15.
Trump told the Washington Examiner newspaper that he was going to deliver a speech to the convention that is "a lot different than it would've been two days ago," saying, "This is a chance to bring the whole country, even the whole world, together."
Your browser doesn’t support HTML5
U.S. Analyst Warns Of Growing Political Instability: 'Violence Begets Violence'
Biden condemned the assassination attempt in a televised address to the nation from the White House late on July 14, and said he had ordered a review of how a man with an AR-15-style rifle got close enough to shoot at Trump despite U.S. Secret Service protection.
"There is no place in America for this kind of violence, for any violence ever. Period. No exceptions. We can't allow this violence to be normalized," Biden said. "The political rhetoric in this country has gotten very heated. It's time to cool it down."
Trump and Biden are poised to face each other in a tight rematch of the 2020 election, according to most opinion polls. The shooting reverberated around the world and through the presidential campaign, which had been focused on whether 81-year-old Biden might drop out amid intense focus on his age and medical state.
"In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand united, and show our true character as Americans, remaining strong and determined," Trump said on Truth Social.
Your browser doesn’t support HTML5
Attempted Assassination Of Trump Shakes U.S. Election Campaign
The FBI said they were not aware of any threats to the Republican convention, which gets launched on July 15, and the Secret Service said they do not anticipate any changes to the security plan in Milwaukee.
U.S. authorities were racing to identify a motive behind the assassination attempt.
SEE ALSO: How The Assassination Attempt On Trump Could Upend The U.S. Presidential RaceThe alleged shooter, Crooks, was reportedly from a town located about an hour south of Butler. Several U.S. news outlets reported that state voting records showed Crooks was a registered Republican, but that he had also made small donations to Democratic campaigns.
The FBI said the gun used in the attack appeared to have been purchased by Crooks' father at least six months before.
In a statement published on X shortly after the incident, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the shooter had fired "multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue." He also said the shooter had been "neutralized."
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro identified the rally attendee who died in the incident as 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief from the area. Two other people were in serious condition but reportedly "stable."
Political analysts speculated about the likely effects of the assassination attempt on the race and pointed to a likely outpouring of sympathy for Trump and defiance at the violence, but said it was mostly too early to tell.
With reporting by Reuters and CNN