Live Updates: Trump rally shooting investigation continues as details emerge

House Speaker Mike Johnson assured supporters on the second night of the Republican National Convention that the House would conduct an “immediate and thorough investigation” of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

“Everyone, hear me clearly and listen to me at home, and make no mistake: The House is conducting an immediate and thorough investigation of these tragic events,” Johnson told the crowd gathered in Milwaukee. “That work has already begun. The American people deserve to know the truth, and we will ensure accountability.” 

Referring to the Republican Party as a “law and order team,” Johnson said the rule of law in the country was in “serious jeopardy.”

“We’ve come to a moment in America where the basic things that we once took for granted are being openly challenged like never before,” Johnson said. “We’re now in the midst of a struggle between two completely different visions of who we are as Americans and what our country will be.”

Corey Comperatore, the retired fire chief who was killed on Saturday at the Trump rally, will receive a public procession on Thursday.

The public will be able to attend the procession through Freeport Community Park in Freeport, Pennsylvania, which will be followed by a public visitation and, later, a private funeral.

At a security meeting on Tuesday, law enforcement officials said they expect a line out the door.

“At the end of the day I think we need to remember Corey,” Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe said about the 50-year-old former firefighter who died while shielding his family from gunfire.

Comperatore’s jacket still hangs outside the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Hall, where he volunteered for decades and where former colleagues are now honoring and remembering him for his dedication to his family and community.

Read more here.

Former President Trump’s second son, Eric Trump, called the failures that led up to the assassination attempt against his father “infuriating.”

Eric Trump spoke with “CBS Evening News” anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell on Tuesday about his father’s recovery, security going forward and the future of the campaign.

The former president was dealing with “the greatest earache in the history of earaches,” his son said.

“You see the picture, right? The famous New York Times picture now, where you literally see the vapor trail of the bullet coming out of the backside of his ear,” Eric Trump said. “It’s hard to believe it could’ve been so much different. I can’t even imagine what that would’ve meant for this country.”

Eric Trump also said it was “infuriating” that snipers and rally attendees spotted the shooter as early as 26 minutes before the first shots were fired.

Read more here.

Friends of David Dutch, the Marine veteran who was one of two people critically wounded at Saturday’s campaign rally, described him as “wonderful” and “supportive.”

Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, was airlifted to Allegheny General Hospital after being shot at the rally.

“No one knows him by David. We all know him by Jake,” Dee Rakar told CBS Pittsburgh’s KDKA station. “He’s a wonderful person, loves his gun bashes, and he likes his gambling.”

Rakar, who like Dutch is a member of the veterans group the American Legion, described Dutch as a dedicated Marine veteran who loves his country and often visited the legion’s post in Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania, with his wife.

Read more here.

Butler County employees are facing threats and harassment following Saturday’s assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, according to a town official.

“It’s frustrating and it’s sad because the city employees had nothing to do with what happened at the farm show grounds,” Butler Councilman Donald Shearer told CBS Pittsburgh station KDKA.

Workers say they are facing hostile emails and threats blaming them for what happened in the small town of just about 13,000 people.

Read more here.

President Biden, speaking at the NAACP National Convention in Las Vegas on Tuesday, once again condemned the violence that took place on Saturday and called to ban the type of weapon involved in the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.

After noting that an AR-15-style rifle was used in the shooting, Mr. Biden said it was time to outlaw the weapons. “I did it once, and I will do it again,” he said, in reference to his support for the 10-year assault weapons ban passed by Congress in 1994.

“We’re grateful he was not seriously injured,” Mr. Biden said about Trump. “We continue to pray for him and his family.”

Mr. Biden said it was a “tense moment” for the country and that it’s time for an important national conversation. “Our politics has gotten too heated,” he said, echoing his Oval Office address on Sunday. He said that “we all have a responsibility to lower the temperature and condemn violence in any form.” 

“We gotta remember, in America, we’re not enemies, we’re friends. We’re neighbors,” the president said. “We have to say with one voice that violence is not the answer. That’s what we should rally around as a nation. That’s the unity I’m talking about.”

Allegheny Health Network’s medical director said he was at a birthday party on Saturday when he started receiving calls and texts to come to the hospital.

“We didn’t know what the situation was going to be,” Dr. Brent Rau, the network’s director, told CBS Pittsburgh station KDKA. “We were told that there were shots fired and there could be multiple casualties.”

Medics from AHN were already in Butler, Pennsylvania, to treat tactical teams for potential injuries, but they quickly shifted gear when bullets started flying at the rally.

Within minutes of the shooting, two helicopters arrived at the Butler Farm Show grounds where the rally was being held. The choppers took the two wounded victims to Allegheny General Hospital more than 30 miles away, where they are still recovering.

The bolstering of former President Donald Trump’s Secret Service assets in June was connected to Iranian threats, an official familiar with the situation confirmed to CBS News on Tuesday.

CBS News has learned the intelligence goes beyond chatter and involves human source intelligence obtained by the U.S.

CBS News previously reported that, according to multiple law enforcement officials, the Secret Service bolstered Trump’s security in June after several requests from his detail for more assets.

Additional resources – including Counter Assault Team personnel, counter sniper team personnel, drones and robotic dogs – were provided. Some of these resources came from the Candidate Nominee Operations Section of the Secret Service. 

Read more here.

—Nicole Sganga contributed reporting.

The family of 74-year-old James Copenhaver, one of the two people critically wounded in the rally shooting, thanked people on Tuesday for the outpouring of support. 

“Jim would like to especially thank the first responders, medics, and hospital staff who have provided him with initial and continuing care,” the Copenhaver family said in a statement. “Additionally, Jim would like to express his thoughts and prayers for the other victims, their families, and President Trump. He prays for a safe and speedy recovery for them all.”

James Copenhaver of Moon Township, Pennsylvania, and 57-year-old David Dutch, of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, were both hospitalized in critical but stable condition at Allegheny General Hospital after being shot at the rally. 

Copenhaver’s family asked the news media, the public and friends to respect the family’s privacy as Copenhaver and his family recover from what they called “this horrible, senseless, and unnecessary act of violence.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, he remained in critical but stable condition, according to the Allegheny Health Network.

Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe says he and other law enforcement officers were upset they couldn’t stop the shooting.

Slupe told CBS Pittsburgh station KDKA’s Andy Sheehan that he was happy to be at former President Donald Trump’s rally on Saturday as both a law enforcement officer and a supporter.

“I was lucky enough to be in uniform as a sheriff and as a guest,” Slupe said in an interview Monday. “I was sitting in the second row behind the bike rack, just feet from the catwalk where the president would come up.”

When the shooting started, Slupe initially thought fireworks were going off. Police earlier that day had responded to reports of fireworks. “In my mind, I’m thinking, ‘What idiot is out here shooting fireworks?'” Slupe recalled.

But shortly after the attack and the ensuing panic, Slupe was on his radio calling for medics and an ambulance. 

“I think every law enforcement officer that was on scene, and probably those that weren’t, are upset … that we couldn’t have stopped this prior to this happening,” Slupe said. “I love President Trump. I’m a huge supporter.”

Slupe said he thought there were enough law enforcement officers at the rally, and he defended the actions of those at the scene. “There’s going to be plenty of investigations. There’s going to be plenty of finger pointing,” Slupe said. “But at the end of the day, I know my deputies did a great job. The police did a great job.”

He added, “At the end of the day, we’re all going to learn something from this.”

U.S. intelligence recently detected an Iranian plot against former President Donald Trump, and the information was shared with the Secret Service before Saturday’s event in Pennsylvania, two U.S. officials confirmed to CBS News on Tuesday.

The National Security Council said it has been tracking Iranian threats against the former president for years, though no ties have been identified between Saturday’s shooting and a foreign actor.

In response to the intelligence, the Secret Service said it is constantly receiving new information about potential threats, but wouldn’t comment on specific threats.

“The Secret Service and other agencies are constantly receiving new potential threat information and taking action to adjust resources, as needed,” Anthony Guglielmi, U.S. Secret Service Chief of Communication, said on Tuesday.

After learning of the increased threat from Iran, the NSC directly contacted the Secret Service at a senior level to make sure the agency continued to track the latest reporting, an official said. The Secret Service shared the information with Trump’s security detail, and the Trump campaign was made aware of an evolving threat. 

In response, the Secret Service had increased resources and assets for the protection of Trump before Saturday, the official said. 

“These threats arise from Iran’s desire to seek revenge for the killing of Qassem Soleimani,” NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson said. 

Trump ordered the killing of Soleimani, a prominent Iranian military commander, in early 2020. The former president took a hardline approach to Iran during his administration and withdrew from the nuclear deal brokered with Iran under the Obama administration. 

“We consider this a national and homeland security matter of the highest priority,” Watson said, adding, “At this time, law enforcement has reported that their investigation has not identified ties between the shooter and any accomplice or co-conspirator, foreign or domestic.” 

A Trump campaign spokesperson declined to comment on the former president’s security detail.

—Nicole Sganga and Fin Gómez contributed reporting.

Trump and his newly-announced vice-presidential running mate, JD Vance, will hold a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20, one week after an attempt on the former president’s life.

In an announcement, the Trump campaign did not mention the shooting, but said it would be the pair’s first appearance since officially accepting the Republican nomination for president and vice president.

Both are expected to speak at the rally, which is scheduled to be held at the Van Andel Arena at 5 p.m. ET. 

A sniper from a local tactical team deployed to assist the U.S. Secret Service at Trump’s rally took a picture of the gunman and saw him looking through a rangefinder minutes before he tried to assassinate the former president, a local law enforcement officer with direct knowledge of the events told CBS News.

The sniper was one of three snipers, members of local tactical teams, who were stationed inside the building that the shooter used in the attack, the officer said. The operations plan had them stationed inside, looking out windows toward the rally, scanning the crowd. The details about the three snipers were first reported by the local news outlet BeaverCountian.com.

One sniper inside spotted the gunman outside and looking up at the roof, observing the building and disappearing, according to the officer who spoke to CBS News. The sniper observed the gunman as he returned to the building, sat down and looked at his phone. At that point, one of the local snipers took a picture of him.

Next, the local sniper observed the gunman looking through a rangefinder, an instrument routinely used by marksmen to determine the distance of a target, and he immediately radioed to the command post, according to the local law enforcement officer. The local sniper also attempted to send the photo of the gunman up the chain of command.

Read more here.  

–Nicole Sganga and Anna Schecter

There are “no specific or credible threats” to the U.S. Capitol or its members after the attempted assassination, according to a notice from the Senate Sergeant of Arms reviewed by CBS News. 

The notice cautioned that there will be a “higher than normal Capitol Police presence” in the upcoming weeks, including “increased K-9 sweeps, security checks and other proactive security measures.” 

House Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green, a Republican from Tennessee, has invited multiple officials to testify in an oversight committee hearing examining the assassination attempt on Trump.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI director Christopher Wray and Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle have all been invited to testify before the committee on July 23.

“It is imperative that we partner to understand what went wrong, and how Congress can work with the departments and agencies to ensure this never happens again,” Green said in a statement. “Successful oversight requires Congress to work together with these officials as they testify publicly before the House Committee on Homeland Security. The American people, and the individuals and families who receive protective services, deserve nothing less.”

Green previously sent a letter to Mayorkas demanding the security plan for the site of Trump’s rally, communications related to protective resources on Trump’s security detail, and briefing materials used to tell President Biden about the assassination attempt.  

Two law enforcement sources told CBS News the shooter purchased a ladder at Home Depot prior to the shooting, but it is unclear if he brought the ladder to the rally venue on Saturday. This was first reported by CNN.

Home Depot said in a statement, “we condemn the violence against former President Trump, and our thoughts are with him, the other victims of Saturday’s horrific events, and their families.”

—Nicole Sganga and Adam Yamaguchi

Authorities have searched the home of the man who tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump – putting a small town in Pennsylvania in the spotlight of the investigation. 

One anonymous neighbor told CBS News Pittsburgh that he had to disconnect his phone after receiving 100 calls from around the world related to the shooting, which killed a rally attendee and injured Trump and two others.

A person was seen walking a suitcase into the shooter’s home on Monday night. The person did not respond to media questions, and could not be immediately identified, CBS News Pittsburgh reported.

Some neighbors recalled interactions with the gunman and his family. 

“I had a really pleasant conversation with them,” said Alleghany County councilman Dan Grzybek, who lives on the same street as the shooter and visited the home while campaigning. “I got the perception they were nice people.” 

Grzybek said he fears the shooter’s actions will “result in further political violence.” 

“I think people are worried that conspiracy theorists are going to come to the area and do something not particularly smart,” he said.

Read more here.

Cellphone video taken Saturday shows rally attendees pointing toward the shooter and trying to alert authorities to his presence — a full two minutes before the 20-year-old fired at Trump.

Less than 15 seconds before the shots, people are seen running away from the area. Moments later, some in the crowd begin shouting that the man on the roof has a gun.

The gunman killed Corey Comperatore, a firefighter. He also wounded two others aside from Trump: 57-year-old Marine Corps veteran David Dutch and 74-year-old James Copenhaver.

Seconds later, a Secret Service counter sniper fatally shot Crooks.

Read more here.

The FBI said it had conducted nearly 100 interviews of law enforcement officials, attendees at the rally and other witnesses as of Monday afternoon, as it investigates the attack as a potential act of domestic terrorism.

It has also received hundreds of digital media tips, according to a press release, but has not identified a clear ideological motive.

The FBI believes the shooter — who was not previously known to the FBI — acted alone, with a gun that was purchased by his father.

Searches of the shooter’s home and vehicle are complete, according to the FBI, and authorities are analyzing his electronic devices.

A former police chief who worked event security for two former presidents said the shooting followed an “an absolute and abysmal failure” on the part of the Secret Service to protect Trump. The agency is ultimately responsible for the candidate’s safety, said Stan Kephart.

“You don’t get to blame other people,” said Kephart, who is now a consulting expert on law enforcement event security. “They are under your control.”

At least a dozen police officers and sheriff’s deputies were assisting the U.S. Secret Service and Pennsylvania State Police with rally security.

President Biden said in an interview with NBC News’ Lester Holt that he should not have used the word “bullseye” when referring to how his campaign should treat Trump, but still wants to put the focus squarely on his opponent’s record and rhetoric heading into November.

“I was talking about focus on, look, the truth of the matter was, what I guess I was talking about at the time was, there was very little focus on Trump’s agenda,” Mr. Biden said Monday.

“It was a mistake to use the word,” the president said, but added, “I meant focus on him. Focus on what he’s doing.”

“I’m not the guy that said, I want to be a dictator on day one. I’m not the guy that refused to accept the outcome of the election. I’m not the guy who said they won’t accept the outcome of this election automatically,” Mr. Biden said. “You can’t only love your country when you win. And so, the focus was on what he’s saying and the idea.”

Asked if he had done any “soul searching” about his rhetoric, Mr. Biden said, “How do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when a president says things like he says? Do you just not say anything, because it may incite somebody?” 

“I’ve not engaged in that rhetoric,” Mr. Biden insisted. “Now, my opponent is engaged in that rhetoric. He talks about, there’ll be a bloodbath if he loses. Talking about how he’s going to forgive all the … I guess suspend the sentence of all those who were arrested and sentenced to go to jail because of what happened in the Capitol.”

Read more here.

The Secret Service sniper who neutralized the gunman fired one round and was assisted by a spotter, according to two federal law enforcement officials with knowledge of the response to the shooting.

The sniper who took out the gunman was located on the roof behind and to Trump’s to his left — the square furthest to the right in the below map.

The man who attempted to assassinate Trump purchased 50 rounds of ammunition from a gun store in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, before arriving at the rally site, according to a law enforcement bulletin from the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI obtained by CBS News.

The FBI is investigating whether the shooter “was motivated by a violent extremist ideology or had any association with additional plotters or co-conspirators.”

Investigators found three suspected improvised explosive devices after the shooting, including two in the shooter’s vehicle parked near the rally site, the bulletin reads.

Both agencies advised law enforcement about the potential for retaliatory acts of violence following Saturday’s shooting given the online threats of violence after the attempt on Trump’s life.

“Some individuals’ reactions to politically and socially divisive topics have prompted violence … and some individuals – including some (Domestic Violent Extremists) – potentially will view political and social tensions as an opportunity to use or promote violence to further their ideological goals,” the bulletin reads.

The attempted assassination on former President Donald Trump had “an impact,” he told ABC News on Monday.

Trump was asked by ABC News’ Jonathan Karl if the attempt on his life had changed him.

“I don’t like to think about that, but, yes, I think has an impact,” he said, adding that he hoped the bandage on his ear would be removed by the time he speaks on Thursday to the Republican National Convention.