On Saturday, July 13, former U.S. President Trump was shot in the right ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and he walked off the stage with blood covering his face. The attempted assassination is currently under investigation.
This is the first time a U.S. president or presidential candidate has been shot since the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
The incident resulted in one fatality and two individuals sustaining serious injuries. Here is a detailed timeline of the event.
Former President Trump took the stage to the tune of “God Bless America,” waving to the crowd under the bright sun.
Moments before the shooting, Trump was discussing the issue of illegal immigration and referenced statistics displayed on two screens showing a decrease in illegal immigration during his presidency.
As Trump continued addressing the issue of illegal immigration and began to say, “If you want to know something that is truly sad, look at what’s happened…,”
At that moment, the first gunshot could be heard, followed by six more in quick succession.
Just milliseconds before the gunfire, Trump slightly turned his head to the right. Some analyses suggest that if he hadn’t made that movement, the bullet might have pierced his skull.
After the gunshots rang out, Trump immediately stopped speaking and quickly grabbed his right ear.
After pulling his hand away, he swiftly crouched on the floor behind the podium. The audience behind him also reacted quickly, crouching down behind the stage.
Attendees began to gasp in shock.
A moment later, a Secret Service agent could be heard shouting, “Get down, get down!”
Secret Service agents protecting former President Trump immediately rushed to the stage upon realizing the situation.
At least seven agents quickly surrounded the former president, shielding him to prevent further gunshots.
A female agent could be heard asking, “What do we do? Where do we go?”
For nearly a minute, Trump remained prone on the stage, with Secret Service agents using their bodies to shield him.
Two Secret Service agents with semi-automatic rifles approached the stage, scanning the crowd and determining their next steps.
Several agents could be heard yelling, “The shooter is down.”
“The shooter is down, can we move in?” asked a female agent.
“The shooter is down,” responded a male agent, “We can move in.”
At that moment, Trump began to slowly rise to his feet, with most of his body still shielded by the agents. His shirt and hair were disheveled, and blood trickled down his right cheek.
As he stood up, the agents continued to surround Trump, shielding his body from view.
Upon standing, Trump could be heard telling the agents, “Let me put on my shoes.”
After a moment, he said, “Wait, wait!”
At this point, the former president raised his fist to the crowd, seemingly saying, “Fight, fight, fight!”
With most of his body still shielded by agents, Trump was carefully escorted off the stage, continuing to wave his fist to the audience.
He was taken to an armored vehicle by agents.
The presidential motorcade departed the rally location.
A spokesperson for the Secret Service, Anthony Guglielmi, stated on a social media platform that there was an “incident” at the rally, with former President Trump being “secure.”
Trump’s campaign team reported that the former president is in “good condition and receiving medical checks at a local facility.”
Spokesperson Guglielmi issued a statement confirming that the suspect in the shooting fired several rounds from a high vantage point outside the rally. The Secret Service agents “subdued the shooter,” who is now deceased. The statement also noted one casualty among the rally attendees and two others sustaining serious injuries.
President Biden spoke to the camera from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, stating that he has “received comprehensive briefings from all relevant federal agencies” regarding the shooting.
“America does not tolerate such violent acts,” Biden said from the emergency briefing room.
On the social platform Truth Social, Trump confirmed that a bullet pierced his right ear. He expressed gratitude to the Secret Service and all law enforcement agencies for their swift response to the shooting and extended condolences to the families of the deceased and injured.
Trump’s campaign team and the Republican National Committee confirmed in a statement that Trump is in “good condition” and will personally attend the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Monday, July 15.
The White House confirmed that President Biden had a phone call with Trump.
Special Agent Kevin Rojek of the Pittsburgh office of the FBI held a press conference, labeling the shooting incident as an attempted assassination. He further stated that investigators are diligently working to determine the motive behind the assassination attempt.
The FBI also confirmed that two adult males suffered serious injuries, and a third male has succumbed to the injuries.
Former President Trump’s private plane landed at Newark Liberty International Airport.
A video shared by his deputy director of public relations, Margo Martin, showed the former president walking off the plane unassisted.
She wrote on the platform, “Resilient. He will never stop fighting for America.”
The FBI confirmed that Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old resident of the Bethel Park community in Pennsylvania, is the suspect in the attempted assassination case.