'Want Answers,' Watson Coleman Says After Trump Rally Shooting

PRINCETON, NJ – Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman has condemned the attempted assignation of former president Donald Trump’s during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

Trump was injured Saturday during a shooting at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The FBI is investigating the incident as the first assassination attempt against a U.S. president or presidential candidate in more than 40 years.

The shooter killed one spectator and critically injured two others. The Secret Service killed the shooter — identified by the FBI as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.

In a statement released Sunday, Watson Coleman condemned the incident and said there was “no place for political violence” in the country.

“I’m praying for the victims and for our country. I’m relieved that former President Trump is safe and commend law enforcement and Secret Service agents for their swift and courageous actions. I also want answers as to how this heinous act could have occurred,” Watson Coleman said.

“The strength and endurance of our democracy depend on the peaceful exchange of ideas without the threat of physical harm to any group or individual.”

The Congresswoman also called on residents to refrain from engaging in conspiracy theories.

“I encourage every American to refrain from engaging in conspiracy theories or retreating to partisan corners, and to come together and recognize the horrible, unforgivable inhumanity of yesterday’s terrible events,” Watson Coleman said.

“We must resolve our political disagreements peacefully. That is a bedrock principle of our democracy with no exceptions.”

Since the shooting, Democratic and Republican leaders have condemned the violence and expressed relief that Trump is alive. With the Republican National Convention beginning Monday, Trump is the party's presumptive presidential nominee.

As the FBI investigates the shooter's motive, President Joe Biden urged the public not to jump to conclusions.

"I urge everyone — everyone, please, don't make assumptions about his motives or his affiliations," President Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, said Sunday in remarks from the White House. "Let the FBI do their job and their partner agencies do their job. I've instructed that this investigation be thorough and swift."

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