Former President Donald Trump was hustled off the stage with a bloodied face after a bullet pierced his ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. Authorities are now investigating what they’ve called an assassination attempt.
The attack marked the first shooting of a U.S. president or presidential candidate since President Ronald Reagan survived an assassination attempt in 1981.
Here’s a timeline of what happened at the shooting that led to the death of one rally-goer, with two more sustaining serious injuries.
6:02 p.m. —Trump Takes the Stage
Former President Trump takes to the stage to the tune of “God Bless the USA,” waving to the crowd under the scorching sun.
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign rally at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Penn., on July 13, 2024. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
6:09 p.m.—Onlookers Notice Gunman on Roof
About two minutes before the first shot rings out, onlookers outside the rally are caught on video pointing out the shooter to law enforcement.
“Look, they’re all pointing,” one says.
“Yeah, someone’s on top of the roof,” another says.
The video zooms in on the shooter: “Yeah, he’s right there, you see him? He’s laying down; you see him?”
“Officer!” one shouts.
“He’s on the roof!” one woman says, sounding exasperated. “Right here, right on the roof.”
6:11:18 p.m. —Trump Speaks
In the final moments before the shooting, President Trump talks about illegal immigration, referencing stats displayed on two jumbotrons that show it was lower during his tenure.
Moments Before the Shooting: Police Officer Approaches Rooftop
Just before the shooting, a police officer with Butler Township attempts to approach the shooter by climbing onto the roof where he had positioned himself.
As the officer grabs onto the roof’s ledge to get on the roof, the shooter turns and aims his gun in the officer’s direction.
At this point, the officer lets go of the ledge, retreats, and reports the threat via radio. The shooter then opens fire on the rally below.
6:11:32 p.m. —Shots Fired
Former President Trump continues speaking about illegal immigration, and begins to say, “If you wanna see something really sad, look what happened over ...”
At this point, the first shot can be heard on camera. Six more shots also ring out in quick succession after the first.
Just milliseconds before, the former president had cocked his head slightly to the right.
6:11:33 p.m. —Trump Grabs Ear
Immediately after the shot rings out, former President Trump stops speaking and quickly grabs at his right ear.
Footage shows the moment when shots were fired at former President Donald Trump during the rally. (NTD)
Pulling his hand away, he then quickly drops to the ground behind his podium. The entire crowd behind him reacts just as quickly, also falling into a crouch behind the stage.
At the same moment, video footage appears to show a Secret Service sniper positioned on a rooftop behind the stage taking a shot in the direction of the shooter. In the moment before taking the shot, the Secret Service sniper can be seen looking into his scope to line up a shot.
Shouts begin to ring out from attendees.
Moments later, a Secret Service agent can be heard shouting, “Get down, get down!”
6:11:36 p.m. —Secret Service Comes Onstage
Former President Trump’s personal escort of Secret Service agents immediately bounds onstage as soon as it became obvious that something is wrong.
At this point, at least seven Secret Service agents swarm the former president, falling on top of him to cover his body from further shots.
“What’re we doing, what’re we doing?” one female agent can be heard saying. “Where are we going?”
6:12:32 p.m. —Trump Gets Up
For nearly a full minute, former President Trump remains prone on the stage, his body covered by Secret Service agents.
Two Secret Service personnel carrying semi-automatic military grade rifles take to the stage, scanning the crowd as Secret Service agents try to determine their next move.
Several agents can be heard shouting, “Shooter down.”
“Shooter down, are we good to move?” a female agent asks.
“Shooter’s down,” a male agent replies. “We’re good to move.”
At this point, former President Trump begins to slowly stand up, still largely covered by agents. His shirt and hair are disheveled, and a stream of blood runs down the right side of his face.
As he stands up, agents continue to shield his body from view.
6:12:47 p.m. —‘Fight, Fight, Fight!’
As former President Trump stands up, he can be heard telling agents, “Let me get my shoes.”
Moments later, he says, “Wait, wait, wait.”
The former president at this point raises his fist to the crowd and says, “Fight, fight, fight!”
6:12:55 p.m. —Trump Escorted Out
With most of his body still shielded by agents, former President Trump is carefully escorted off stage, continuing to pump his fist for the crowd.
He is taken by agents to an armored vehicle.
Former President Donald Trump, whose right ear was pierced by one of the bullets, is rushed offstage by U.S. Secret Service agents and escorted into a nearby vehicle. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
6:14 p.m. —Trump’s Motorcade Leaves
The former president’s motorcade departs the rally venue.
6:42 p.m. —Secret Service Confirms ‘Incident’ at Trump Rally
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi writes on X that “an incident” has happened at the rally and that former President Trump “is safe.”
6:51 p.m. —Trump Said to Be at Medical Facility
The Trump campaign says the former president “is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility.”
7:49 p.m. —Secret Service Confirms Shooter Dead
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi releases a statement saying that the suspected shooter had fired multiple shots from an elevated position outside the rally venue. Secret Service agents had “neutralized the shooter,” who was now deceased. The statement also says that one spectator was killed and two spectators seriously injured.
(Top Left) Pennsylvania state police officers tend to a person in the crowd who is injured by the shots. (Top Right) Police snipers return fire at the shooter after former President Donald Trump was injured. (Bottom Left) The building, where a witness says they saw a man with a rifle climbing up to the roof, is near the site of the rally. (Bottom Right) People watch the shooting being broadcast on television in a bar in Milwaukee on July 13, 2024. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images, Gene J. Puskar/AP Photo, Courtesy of Stephanie Costlow, Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
8:13 p.m. —Biden Condemns Shooting
President Joe Biden speaks on camera from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, saying that he had been “thoroughly briefed by all the agencies in the federal government” on the shooting.
“There’s no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick, it’s sick,” President Biden says from the emergency briefing room.
President Joe Biden speaks at the Rehoboth Beach Police Department, in Rehoboth Beach, Del., in the wake of the assassination attempt against his presidential rival on July 13, 2024. (Samuel Corum/Afp via Getty Images)
8:42 p.m. —Trump Confirms Ear Wound
Former President Trump confirms that a bullet pierced his right ear, in a statement on his social media platform Truth Social.
He also thanks the Secret Service, and all of law enforcement “for their rapid response to the shooting” and expresses condolences to the family of the person who was fatally shot and another he had heard had been seriously injured.
9:40 p.m. —Trump Will Attend Republican National Convention
The Trump Campaign and the Republican National Convention confirm in a statement that the former president is “doing well” and will appear in person at the Republican National Convention, set to kick off in two days in Milwaukee, on Monday, July 15.
Workers prepare the stage for the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on July 13, 2024. The RNC will be held in Milwaukee from July 15–18. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)
10:30 p.m. —Biden Speaks With Trump
The White House confirms that President Biden has spoken with former President Donald Trump.
11:45 p.m. —FBI Calls Shooting an Assassination Attempt
Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge at the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office, holds a news conference calling the shooting an assassination attempt. He also says that investigators are working to identify a motive for the attempted assassination.
The FBI confirms that two adult men are in critical condition, while a third has died.
12:37 a.m. —Trump Lands in New Jersey
President Trump’s private jet lands at Newark Liberty International Airport. A video shared by his deputy director of communications, Margo Martin, shows the former president walking unassisted down the airstair of his plane.
“Strong and resilient. He will never stop fighting for America,” Ms. Martin writes on X.
1:35 a.m. —FBI Names Gunman
The FBI identifies 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the subject involved in the assassination attempt on former President Trump.
People look at the American flag as it is placed into position at the campaign event in Butler, Penn., on July 13, 2024. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)
Correction: The position of the sniper who shot and killed the shooter has been updated in the featured image based on new information.
