Press photo shows ball flying past Trump
During a campaign rally of ex-President Trump in Pennsylvania, shots were fired. The Republican came with a bleeding ear out of it. A press photographer captured the moment as a projectile passed by the Republican during the campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Suddenly, Donald Trump held his bloody ear and went down: New York Times photographer Doug Mills witnessed the shooting of the Republican during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania up close - and captured it with his camera. The photographer, who has portrayed presidents for the US newspaper since 1983, was one of the few news reporters who were only a few steps away from Trump's podium when the shots were fired.
He first thought it was a car backfire when he heard the sudden bang noises, said Mills to the newspaper. "I continued taking photos. He (Trump) went behind the podium and I thought, 'oh my god, something happened'." He switched to the other side of the stage to get a better view of Trump and continued taking photos. "Just as he looked in that one picture with his fist, very fighter-like, he looked completely drained in my next shot. Very, very shocked."
During more than 35 years of photojournalism reporting on US presidents, he had always wondered what he would do in such a situation, reported Mills further. "I wondered what I would do in this situation. I hope I get the right shot. I hope I don't get shot myself." Mills has been reporting from Washington since 1983. Trump once called him the "best photographer in the world".
Retired FBI agent analyzes photo
According to the New York Times, Mills likely captured the projectile in a quick photo sequence. The newspaper published the photos showing Trump at the moment of the shooting while he was speaking at the podium. In one of the high-angle photos right before it, a gray streak is visible. According to retired FBI agent Michael Harrigan, who the newspaper consulted as an expert, it is very likely that this is the displacement caused by one of the bullets fired at Trump. "The angle looks a bit shallow to have gone through his ear, but not impossible if the shooter fired multiple shots."
Upon further investigation, the retired FBI agent Michael Harrigan suggested that the gray streak visible in one of the photos might be the displacement caused by a bullet fired at Donald Trump. Despite the angle appearing slightly shallow, it's not impossible that the projectile could have gone through his ear if multiple shots were fired. After the incident, Donald Trump continued to make attempts in the realm of US politics, despite the unexpected incident happening during his campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
