TITLE: Condemning the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and denouncing political violence.

SUMMARY: Condemning the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and denouncing political violence.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, A gunman attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024; and WHEREAS, On that day, at approximately 6:00 p.m., former President Trump took the stage and began to deliver his rally speech; moments later, spectators informed law enforcement officers that a suspicious man was climbing a ladder on a nearby building; a local officer climbed to that building's roof to confront the suspect, who was armed with an AR-style rifle; the suspect proceeded to open fire, and members of the Secret Service acted quickly to shield former President Trump; countersnipers targeted and killed the shooter, and investigators later discovered bomb-making materials in the car he drove to the rally; and WHEREAS, During the incident, former President Trump sustained an injury to the upper part of his right ear; he was safely escorted to a local hospital, where he received treatment; other victims include Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old former fire chief, who was tragically shot and killed while shielding his family from the gunman's bullets, as well as David Dutch and James Copenhaver, who were injured in the shooting and subsequently hospitalized; and WHEREAS, Numerous national leaders have spoken out against political violence in response to the attempted assassination of former President Trump; on the day immediately after the incident, President Joe Biden delivered an address from the Oval Office of the White House to emphasize the importance of cooling down heated political rhetoric; and WHEREAS, The strength of our democracy depends on our shared commitment to freedom of expression and peaceful debate, and all acts of political violence are an affront to those ideals; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas Legislature hereby condemn the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump and denounce all political violence.