At a Pennsylvania campaign rally, a man made an attempt on the life of Donald Trump.
The former president fell to the ground, his ear dripping with blood, as gunfire erupted, and security personnel hurried him off the stage.
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The incident claimed the life of one spectator and critically injured two others.
The Secret Service shot and killed the gunman, who has been identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, on the spot.
The incident developed as follows, minute by minute:
Mr. Trump arrived on stage at his campaign rally in Butler, a city around thirty miles north of Pittsburgh, at 6:03 p.m. (11.03 p.m. UK time). God Bless the USA was playing when he waved to the audience and got right into his speech.
Multiple shots were fired toward the stage around 6:11 p.m. (11:11p.m.). Mr. Trump fell to the ground after grabbing his ear.
Someone could be heard yelling “fire, fire, fire” on the video that was captured at that exact moment, which you can watch below.
Secret Service agents leaped on top of the 78-year-old to protect him at 6:12 p.m. (11:12 p.m.). “Is it okay for us to move now?” someone asked.
After saying, “Let me get my shoes,” Mr. Trump gestured to the crowd with a furious fist and told the agents to wait.
Then they hauled him off the platform and into an armored car that was waiting for him.
Mr. Trump’s motorcade left the event at 6:14 p.m. (11:14 p.m.).
The event at the rally was confirmed by the Secret Service at 6:42 p.m. (11:42 p.m.), and Mr. Trump was deemed “safe”.
Trump’s campaign team released a statement at 7:03 p.m. (12:03 a.m.) stating that he was “fine” and getting examined out at a nearby hospital.
Richard Goldinger, the district attorney for Butler County, stated that there had been rumors that one man in the crowd had died in the incident at 7.10 p.m. (12.10 a.m.).
7.28 p.m. (12.28 a.m.): Mr. Goldinger declared the individual thought to be the gunman to be dead. In addition, he verified that one audience member had died and that another was very ill.
7.50 p.m. (12.50 a.m.): According to law enforcement officials, an attempt on the life of the shooter is being looked at.
US President Joe Biden made a statement at 7:55 p.m. (12:55 a.m.), stating that he had been informed about the event and that he was praying for Trump.
“Jill and I are appreciative of the Secret Service’s assistance in bringing him to safety. This kind of violence has no place in America,” he declared.
“We must unite as one nation to condemn it.”
He announced during a brief, televised briefing about 20 minutes later that he was attempting to get in touch with Mr. Trump as soon as possible.
“There ought to have been no issues and the demonstration could have been held in a calm manner. However, he remarked, “The idea that there is political violence or violence of this kind in America is just unheard of; it’s just inappropriate.”
“Everybody must condemn it, everybody.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressed his “appalled” reaction to the “shocking scenes” at the demonstration at 8.15 p.m. (1.15 a.m.). “Political violence in any form has no place in our societies, and my thoughts are with all the victims of this attack,” he said.
8.42 p.m. (1.42 a.m.): Mr. Trump wrote on his Truth Social page that he had been shot in the top region of his right ear and that “a significant amount of bleeding occurred.”
He paid tribute to the Secret Service’s “rapid response” and offered his sympathies to the family of the rally victim who lost his life.
“My right ear’s upper portion was punctured when I was shot. I heard a whizzing sound, bullets, and felt the bullet ripping through the skin right away, so I knew right away that something was wrong,” he added.
“It is incredible that such an act can take place in our country.”
9.02 p.m. (2.02 a.m.): The US Secret Service released a detailed statement to Sky News, confirming that “multiple” bullets were fired during the event, with the gunfire coming from outside the location.
Anthony Guglielmi, the spokesman, declared that the gunman had been “neutralized.” He added that there had been two serious injuries to onlookers.
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9.27 p.m. (2.27 a.m.): An aerial image of a structure located 150 meters from Mr. Trump’s speech surfaced. There was a body on the roof and a firearm.
10.09 p.m. (3.09 a.m.): According to the White House, Mr. Biden was leaving his Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, residence and heading back to Washington.
11.19 p.m. (4.19 a.m.): Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro reported that Mr. Trump departed the Butler region while being guarded by the state police and Secret Service.
After discussing the shooting with Trump, Mr. Biden boarded Air Force One at 11.30 p.m. (4.30 a.m.) to return to Washington, DC.
11.41 p.m. (4.41 a.m.): According to United States partner network NBC of Sky News, the gunman has been identified as a male approximately 20 years of age.
At a press conference, law enforcement officials stated that they were treating the event as an attempt on Mr. Trump’s life at 11:53 p.m. (4:53 a.m.).
According to FBI special agent Kevin Rojeck, authorities were almost certain of the gunman’s identity, but no motive had been established.
He continued by saying that “suspicious packages” had been discovered close to the gunman’s location and that “abundance of caution” had led to the deployment of bomb assets.
Mr. Biden returned to Washington and landed at the Maryland-based Andrews Air Force Base around 12.35 a.m. (5.35 a.m.).
The first time Mr. Trump was pictured after the attack was at 12.50 a.m. (5.50 a.m.). A video of him descending an aircraft’s stairs after taking a flight from Pennsylvania to New Jersey was shared by his campaign team.
The FBI identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks at 1.37 a.m. (6.37 a.m.). He was “neutralized” at the site, according to a statement from the investigators, although they stated the investigation was still underway.