On Saturday evening, chaos erupted when a gunman fired shots into a Pennsylvania campaign rally for presumptive Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump, who was rushed off stage with a bloodied ear.
Photojournalists at the event managed to capture many of the scenes unfolding before them ― including the immediate response from the attendees and from the former president himself, who raised a fist in the air as law enforcement tried to protect him.
Here are some of the many photos that documented what authorities have described as an assassination attempt ― an event that will likely be remembered as a significant moment in US history.
The Shooting
Trump was speaking at his rally in Butler when several shots rang out and threw the event into chaos. Images show Trump with a bloodied right ear and blood smeared on his right cheek as Secret Service agents and campaign staffers rush to protect the candidate and civilians.
Agents initially ducked and covered Trump before hurrying him off the stage. In the stands, images appear to show some spectators bloodied or hiding under benches.
The Fist
As Secret Service agents surrounded the former president in an effort to protect him from further harm, a bloodied Trump raised his fist in the air, and kept it raised until security personnel were able to get him to a vehicle.
Associated Press photojournalist Evan Vucci took a photo of Trump, fist aloft with a large American flag in the background, that The New Yorker’s Benjamin Wallace-Wells described as “already the indelible image of our era of political crisis and conflict.”
The Shooter
Law enforcement went after the shooter, who was seen positioned with a weapon on a rooftop outside the rally venue. The gunman, whom authorities have identified as 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, was reportedly shot dead by Secret Service personnel.
