Sunday marks one year since the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.
What marked a powerful moment in his presidential campaign, played out in a tragic, horrifying three minutes on stage at his rally on July 13, 2024.
Trump was left bleeding from his ear after being shot on stage in a horrific attack by assassin Thomas Crooks.
A barrage of rifle rounds rained down shortly after the former president got up to speak that day just before 6.15pm.
Trump grabbed the side of his head and ducked as bullets whizzed by and screams from terrified onlookers rang out.
The shots pierced the top of Trump’s right ear and one of his supporters was killed in the crossfire with two others badly injured.
After he dodged an attempt on his life, Trump pumped his fist at the crowd and chanted ‘USA’ and ‘Make America Great Again’.
Shortly after the chaos, Secret Service announced that Crooks had been confirmed dead.
Images from the day below recount the details of the moments leading up to the shots and the tragic aftermath.
Trump grabbed at the side of his head as he appeared to be hit
Donald Trump appeared to be hit in the ear as shots were fired at the former president at a rally in Pennsylvania
Trump pumped a fist at the crowd and was not severely injured as he walked on his own off the stage, surrounded by secret service
Trump was surrounded by Secret Service agents in the moments after the shooting. He raised his fist to indicate that he was okay in an image that swept the globe
Trump had blood streaming down his cheeks as Secret Service agents put him to the floor
Secret Service raced to the stage to protect Trump after shots were fired
Blood can be seen pouring from the side of the president’s head
The president was escorted off of the stage by Secret Service
Witnesses hugged each other after seeing the assassination attempt
The shooter, 20-year-old Crooks, was an engineering student and amateur gunman from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.
After weeks of erratic behavior, almost one year ago he told his parents he was headed to the gun range, a hobby that he had recently picked up.
Instead, he mounted a roof and shot the then Republican presidential candidate from just 400 feet away.
He somehow evaded event security and nearby snipers to take his shots.
The young man was a registered Republican and, according to the FBI, began using aliases to purchase firearms online in 2023.
He made over 25 gun-related purchases before his attempt on the now-president’s life. On July 13, 2024, he loaded one of those purchases broken down into a backpack.
Officials said that Crooks had searched for both Trump and Biden campaign events, and found the Butler rally to be the perfect ‘target of opportunity’ to open fire.
Agents also found explosives in Crooks’ car.
Trump supporters ducked for safety in the stands as chaos took hold
Officials said that Crooks would have had to have used a long-rage rifle in order to hit Trump from so far away
The fair grounds in Butler, PA where the event was held
Thomas Crooks, 20, (pictured) was seen on the day of the rally around 4.30pm
Thomas Crooks (pictured) was confirmed dead at the scene after shooting at Trump from 400 feet away
Body camera footage of the incident showed Crooks’ body after Secret Service took him down
Crooks was said to be an intelligent student amidst a mental health crisis
Law enforcement reacted quickly to the shots, and immediately moved to protect Trump and innocent bystanders
Law enforcement located Crooks on a roof just a few hundred feet away
Crooks transported the firearm broken down in a backpack
Officials later found improvised explosive devices in Crooks’ car
Crooks was stationed on a roof adjacent to the fairgrounds where the event was held
A witness told the BBC that agents ‘blew the (shooter’s) head off’, shortly after shots were fired.
Within seconds of shots ringing out, Trump was put to the floor by several Secret Service agents to protect him.
Onlookers said ‘residual bangs’ were heard after Trump hit the floor.
The crowd ducked and took cover as shots continued to ring out.
Shortly after the incident, images of Trump with his ear bloodied and fist in the air , chanting ‘fight, fight, fight,’ made their way around social media. The moment became a powerful emblem of his campaign.
Trump mouthed the word ‘fight’ as he was dragged away
As he was rushed into SUVs, Trump flashed a fist at his supporters
Trump showed his supporters that he was okay within seconds of being shot
Trump’s rallies were heavily guarded events
Attendees pointed to the crowd at a victim shortly after shots rang out
Secret service members throw themselves on Trump after the shots were fired
A secret service member is seen gesturing to the crowd after the fatal shooting of a Trump supporter
Since the attempt, supporters and witnesses have come out to recount the horrors of the day. One ER doctor who attended the rally recalled tending to one of the injured and administering CPR:
‘I heard the shots. I thought it was firecrackers to begin with. Somebody over there was screaming ‘he’s been shot he’s been shot,”‘ he said.
‘So I made my way over. I said I’m an emergency department physician. Let me help you.’
To commemorate his near-death experience, Trump added a new piece of art to the White House in May.
A miniature bronze statue of Trump with his fist in the air now sits on a desk in the Oval Office.
A 9-foot tall version in bronze is in the works, according to the Trump’s Statue Project website, to commemorate the anniversary of the fateful day.
The installation, was designed by Stan Watts to symbolize ‘the divine intervention as well as the man and his message of unity and resilience for which America stand’.
