The events surrounding the assassination attempt on Trump: Minute by minute
Former US President Donald Trump was shot during a shooting incident at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. According to the FBI, this was an assassination attempt. One participant of the rally was killed and two others were seriously injured. US Media CNN and ABC News have compiled the events from the start of the rally to the chaotic moments when shots were fired.*
18.00.00 (00.00 EST)
Trump enters the stage of the campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania around 6:00 PM (local time).
Before he goes to the speaker's podium, he is cheered on by thousands of supporters. According to official reports, all people in the crowd of the rally underwent a security check before being allowed into the event.
18.05.00Trump finally takes the speaker's podium. The crowd cheers and chants "USA, USA, USA, USA". Trump greets his supporters with the words: "Hello Pennsylvania, it's great to be back here!" Then he begins his campaign speech: His first point is immigration policy.
18.11.00Trump is in the middle of his speech when a person in the crowd shouts: "He has a weapon". Trump was just about to say: "If you really want to see something sad, look over there" when shots rang out. Panic broke out in the crowd.
18:11.33Trump reaches for his right ear. Another agent shouts: "Down! Down! Down! Down!"
Then Trump ducks behind the speaker's podium. Several Secret Service agents run onto the stage towards Trump and hold him down. At the same time, the people in the crowd also duck. More shots are fired.
18.11.41A Secret Service agent on the scene shouts: "What are we doing here? What are we doing here? (...) Where are we going (...)".
18.11.50Another shot falls. A woman from the crowd screams.
18.12.01Two more officers with guns secure the sides of the stage.
18:12.06"Are we ready?", one agent calls out. Another replies that the snipers are ready. Then an agent reports: "The shooter is down. The shooter is down. Are we ready to continue?"
The agent asks: "Are we safe?"
18.12.23"We are safe. We are safe. We are safe", some of the agents say in unison. They prepare to take Trump off the stage. The agents surround Trump, lift him up. The agents raise their arms to shield Trump.
18.12.36Once upright again, Trump says: "Let me get my shoes!" One agent points out to Trump that he should take care of his head wound. Another says: "We need to get to the car, Sir!" But Trump insists: "Wait, wait, wait, wait!"
18.12.47A man from the crowd calls out, "We love you!" Trump breaks free from the circle of agents, raises his fist in the air and shouts "Fight! Fight! Fight!" Some people in the crowd stand up again. They cheer and roar: "USA, USA, USA, USA."
18.13.55The agents escort Trump off the stage to a black SUV.
18.14.49Trump leaves the rally in Butler. He is taken to the nearby Butler Memorial Hospital.
18.51.00Trump's spokesperson Steven Cheung announces that Trump is "doing well" and is being "checked out in a medical facility".
20.05.00President Joe Biden makes a statement saying he has been informed about the shooting. "I'm grateful to hear that he is in safety and doing well. I pray for him and his family, and for all those who were at the rally while we wait for more information", says Biden. He tried to reach out to Trump telephonically and wanted to speak with him. "There's no place for this violence in America. It's sick", says he further.
20.42.00Trump posts a first message on the Truth Social platform after leaving the rally.
20.53.00Trump's motorcade leaves Butler Memorial Hospital, where he was medically examined after the shooting.
23.00.00Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania announces that Trump has left the Butler, Pennsylvania area. "Under the protection of the US Secret Service and with the assistance of the Pennsylvania State Police, former President Trump has now left the Butler area", says Shapiro. "Lori and I are thankful for his team reporting that he is okay, and we wish him a full and quick recovery."
Trump's plane takes off from Pittsburgh to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
00.37.00 (July 14, 2024, local time)Trump's deputy communications director Margo Martin posts a video X on it. It shows Trump getting off the plane in Newark, and she writes on X: "Strong and resilient. He will never stop fighting for America".
01.34.00The FBI identifies the suspected shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park in the state of Pennsylvania. "This remains an active and ongoing investigation", says an FBI spokesperson further.
10.22.00Trump's wife Melania Trump makes the first statement after the attack with a declaration she posts on social media. In it, she writes that the man killed in the shooting was a "Monster" who tried to "extinguish Donald's passion, his laughter, his wit, his love for music, and his enthusiasm", explains the former First Lady of the USA. When she saw that a bullet had grazed her husband, she realized that her life and that of her son Barron were "on the brink of a devastating change".
12.00.00Governor Josh Shapiro identifies the deceased victim: The deceased was firefighter Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old from Sarver in Pennsylvania. Shapiro announces that the flags will be lowered to half-mast in honor of Comperatore, a firefighter who leaves behind a wife and two daughters.
15.00.00The Pennsylvania State Police identifies the injured victims as 57-year-old David Dutch from New Kensington and 74-year-old James Copenhaver from Moon Township. Both men are reported to be in a stable condition.
For more information on the aftermath of the Trump attack, see the Trump Ticker on ntv.de.
- Despite the assassination attempt on Former United States President Donald Trump at his rally in Pennsylvania, his supporters continued to chant "USA, USA" throughout the incident.
- The United States Presidency Election 2024 is expected to be a contentious race, with both Republicans and Democrats preparing their strategies, given the recent incident involving Trump.
- Joe Biden, the current President of the United States, expressed concern over the shooting incident and stressed that there is no place for violence in America.
- In the aftermath of the shooting incident, Trump's rival, potential Republican candidate for the 2024 presidency, has not made any official statements, choosing to stay silent on the matter.
