Illinois politicians are reacting Saturday after Donald Trump was rushed off the stage at rally in Pennsylvania.
Former President Trump says he was shot in the ear after a gunman opened fire towards the stage at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday -- a harrowing incident that left one spectator dead, two others critically injured and sparked chaos at the event.
The country hasn't seen an assassination attempt on a president or a presidential candidate since 1981. That's when President Ronald Reagan was shot in Washington D.C.
Tim McCarthy, the Secret Service agent who took a bullet for Reagan, spoke with ABC7 Saturday night.
The apparent assassination attempt on former President Trump hits close to home for McCarthy.
It gets pretty tough out there in the campaign trail, but this cannot happen in our country.
"This is an attempted assassination of the former president, so this is a very, very serious matter," McCarthy said.
The former Orland Park police chief spent eight years assigned to the Presidential Protective Division in Washington, D.C.
In 1981, he was shot in the line of duty while protecting President Ronald Reagan during an assassination attempt.
"It gets pretty tough out there in the campaign trail, but this cannot happen in our country," McCarthy said.
Senator Dick Durbin, saying on social media in part, "Political violence is never acceptable. I'm keeping the former president, the bystander who was tragically killed, and all who were injured or whose safety was threatened in my thoughts."
Violence is never the answer in our democracy.
"We as a country need to take a strong look at the political rhetoric," Former Cook County Republican Chairman Aaron Del Mar said. "I think that kind of leads to things like this."
Those sentiments were shared by Former Illinois House GOP leader Jim Durkin, who has been critical of Trump in recent years, but said now the country needs to unite.
"It's terrible," Durkin said. "I wish campaigns would be fought over words... as opposed to violence... praise God that President Trump is survived."
Former President Barrack Obama also issued a statement on social media, wishing Trump a quick recovery.
Chicago has a historical connection to similar incidents. In 1933, Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak was shot and killed during an assassination attempt on then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Donald Trump was rushed off stage as shots were heard during at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
SEE ALSO | Pa. governor, allies, rivals offer prayers, concerns after possible assassination attempt on Trump
Latest reactions
Statement from Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth:
"There is absolutely no excuse-and no place whatsoever-for violence in American politics, and those responsible for this must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. I am keeping Donald Trump in my thoughts and hoping he has a swift and full recovery."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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