If you thought this election was already going off the rails, apparently we haven't seen anything yet. Donald Trump was beginning to deliver scheduled remarks at an election rally in Pennsylvania tonight when the sound of apparent gunshots rang out. At least five shots were reported, with one of them apparently striking the former President in the ear. The Secret Service was rushing around and covering the former President and he was quickly rushed off of the stage. The entire scene erupted into chaos. Trump grabbed his ear as his security team covered his body while soldiers in military gear were seen rushing out into the main body of the audience at the rally. If true, this is simply insane. But is that really what happened? (NY Post)

Gunfire appeared to erupt at former President Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania while he was speaking on stage — and he was grazed in the ear, law enforcement said.

Several gunshots rang out just about five minutes into his speech shortly after 6 p.m., sending Trump to the ground as Secret Service agents jumped in to cover him

Trump appeared to grab his ear in the moments before he was taken to the floor by the Secret Service.  He was heard asking for his shoes as the guards rushed him away.

Soldiers in military gear were seen rushing into the rally.

The BBC has more updates and videos. Apparently, Trump was defiant and was seen raising a fist into the air as he was rushed off of the stage. The event in Butler, Pennsylvania was seen as a crucial stop in the critical swing state where Trump now holds a narrow lead in the latest polls. But security at these events tends to be insanely tight. Given the assumed distance involved from the initial reports (which are not yet confirmed), you would assume that someone would need a rifle to pull off a shot like that. How did anyone manage to get a rifle into that rally undiscovered?

Let's look at two possible explanations. Ether someone fired shots at Trump or they didn't. Starting with the most alarming possibility, if someone was at the rally with a weapon, the first explanation is that a massive security failure took place while searching the people arriving to watch the event. The more disturbing possibility it that the shooter was someone who was allowed to enter the event with a firearm, suggesting the involvement of law enforcement in some fashion.

We'll have to wait for the full results of the ongoing investigation, but I'll have to admit that my initial reaction was to believe that this was a misunderstanding. It's not that the Democrats aren't desperate enough to try to kill Trump at this point, but this would have been a ham-handed and logistically impossible (or close to it) way to attempt it. Then again, perhaps I'm totally off base. Reports are already coming in that there was a shooter and he is dead. We shall see.

UPDATE (Ed): Clearly we know enough now to put aside any speculation. We have edited the post to set aside any confusion.