When hundreds of Donald Trump supporters wearing red MAGA (Make America Great Again) hats and carrying signs arrived at a fairground outside the small town of Butler, Pennsylvania, there were very few signs that they are about to witness a pivotal moment in the US presidential campaign and in American history.
What began as a peaceful campaign rally on a sunny Saturday afternoon ended in chaos and confusion when a series of shots were fired at former President Donald Trump, causing blood to pour from his ear. grandfather.
ABC News summarizes the entire scene of the failed assassination, condensed into 11 minutes and 9 seconds.
The campaign was held at the Butler Fairgrounds, about 55 km north of Pittsburgh, Philadelphia. Special stands and a stage were set up at the event venue.
6:02 p.m. EDT (Eastern US)
Mr. Donald Trump was asked to go on stage at 5:00 p.m. local time but did not appear until about 6:02 p.m.
The stage faces northwest with the audience standing behind it and three buildings visible in the satellite image directly behind. To Mr. Trump's left there are a series of other large buildings and a parking lot.
6:05 p.m
After greeting the audience, Mr. Trump officially stepped onto the stage. His first words into the microphone were "this is a big crowd, a big, beautiful crowd."
6:11 p.m
At around 6:11 p.m., a rally attendee near the shooting suspect 's location shouted "He has a gun!" causing everyone around to panic.
Video posted by TMZ shows a long-haired man in a prone position shooting on a building near the parking lot, north of the stage.
A live feed from the Right Side Broadcasting network - corroborated with live feeds from the AP and Reuters - showed the first shot was heard at 6:11:33 p.m. Eastern time.
3 shots from the same weapon can be heard in less than 3 seconds.
Between the first and second shots, former president Donald held his ear and grimaced slightly, indicating that the first bullet had hit its target.
The second shot rang out and Mr. Trump began crouching behind the podium. The crowd behind began to realize what was happening.
The third shot rang out, and three members of the security team almost immediately approached Mr. Trump, using their bodies to shield the former president.
Four seconds later, four more shots rang out, followed by three rapid shots from what sounded like another type of gun. 11 seconds later, there was another gunshot.
Video footage taken by witnesses later showed the shooting suspect's body on a building next to the north parking lot, about 130 meters from the stage where Mr. Trump spoke.
The FBI later released a statement identifying 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks as a "person of interest" in the assassination.
It's unclear exactly how he got to the rooftop, but street map data and satellite imagery of the location suggest there were multiple access points, including from neighboring buildings. and parking.
6:12 p.m
As multiple Secret Service agents and armed escorts rushed toward Mr. Trump, microphones picked up the sound of the security team trying to coordinate the removal of the former President.
The clip, taken by Washington Post photographer Jabin Botsford, shows security staff trying to help the former president stand up.
Shouts of "We love you, Trump!" was heard from the crowd.
6:13 p.m
The security team was ready to move once the road from the stage to the SUV was cleared. At that time, Mr. Trump could still be heard saying to the Secret Service members in the video: "Let me get my shoes back first."
Meanwhile, about 50 meters north of the stage, a person shot in crossfire was being helped by people around him.
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Gugliemi later announced that, in addition to the gunman, one spectator was killed and two others were seriously injured.
On stage, Mr. Trump raised his fist in the air and the crowd cheered, chanting "USA" as he was escorted down the stairs and off the stage. It took Mr. Trump 22 seconds to reach the car.
The former President raised his final fist to the crowd before the car started moving at 18:13:41.
It all took just 11 minutes and 9 seconds.
