Former President Trump was shot in the ear and left bloody during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday in what authorities are investigating as an assassination attempt.
The shooting happened just after Trump began speaking in Butler, about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh, and police said the suspected shooter and one rally attendee were killed.
Here’s the timeline of what happened:
6:03 p.m. EDT: Trump takes the stage
Trump took the stage to the sound of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA,” a song that always opens his campaign rallies.
The former president remained onstage and waved to the crowd until the song finished at 6:05 p.m.
6:11 p.m. Gunshots ring out.
As Trump spoke about an increase in border crossings under President Biden’s administration, several gunshots rang out.
Pointing to a graph on the video board showing the recent surge in border crossings, Trump said, “This graph is from a few months ago. If you want to know what’s really sad, look at what happened,” at which point shots rang out and Trump collapsed under the podium, clutching his ear and neck.
As more gunfire was heard, Secret Service agents stormed onto the stage and could be heard saying “Down, down, down, down” as attendees shouted.
6:12pm: Trump leaves the stage.
A police officer on stage could be heard giving instructions over the lectern microphone.
“Wait, wait,” one of the officers said.
“Please. Get ready, get moving! Go,” said another.
Minutes later, police helped Trump to his feet and escorted him off the stage, surrounded by officers, blood coming from his ears, his face smeared with blood, and him raising his fist into the crowd as officers led him away.
Trump’s motorcade departs at 6:14 p.m.
Within minutes of the shots ringing out, Trump’s motorcade left the rally.
6:42 p.m.: The Secret Service and the Trump campaign say Trump is safe.
A spokesman for the US Secret Service released a statement confirming that an “incident” had occurred at the rally and that the former president was “safe.”
Within minutes, the Trump campaign released its own statement, saying Trump was “in good spirits and undergoing testing at a local medical facility.”
7:24 p.m. Police confirm the deaths
The Butler County District Attorney told The Associated Press that the suspected shooter is dead and that one rally attendee was also killed in the shooting.
8:13 p.m. Biden’s statement
President Biden spoke in front of cameras from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where he is spending the weekend.
Biden, in his two-minute remarks, said he had attempted to reach Trump by phone and hoped to speak with his political rival on Saturday evening.
“Look, there’s no place in America for this kind of violence. This is sick. This is sick,” Biden said.
8:42 p.m.: Trump speaks
President Trump posted to Truth Social about two and a half hours after the shooting, thanking police, offering condolences to the attendee who died and confirming that he had been shot in the ear.
“I can’t believe something like this happened in our country. We don’t know anything about the perpetrator at this time. He is deceased,” Trump wrote. “I was shot above my right ear. I knew immediately something was wrong as I heard the whoosh, the gunshot and felt the bullet break through my skin. I was bleeding heavily and knew what was going on. God Bless America!”
