Picture this: a Donald Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, turns chaotic as gunshots echo through the venue. It’s a scene straight out of a political thriller, except it’s all too real. On July 13, the former president was speaking when suddenly, he had to be whisked off stage—his life hanging by a thread.
Imagine being there, witnessing the commotion—Trump, at 78, barely escaping a bullet that grazed his ear. The drama unfolded as he confirmed on social media, revealing the harrowing details of his brush with death: pierced by a bullet in the ‘upper part of [his] right ear’ with ‘much bleeding.’
The would-be assassin, a 20-year-old named Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, fired multiple shots towards Trump before being neutralized by the Secret Service. The agents acted swiftly, ensuring the safety of the former president, now out of immediate danger but shaken by the attempt on his life.
“US Secret Service personnel neutralized the shooter, who is now deceased.
“US Secret Service quickly responded with protective measures and the former president is safe and being evaluated.”
According to a witness named Vanessa, Trump’s instinctive head movement just before the shot was fired may have saved his life. Standing six rows from the podium, she saw everything.
“We were six rows back, straight in front of him at his podium. We could see him really good,” she recounted to NBC News.
“He was talking about his chart and he moved his head to the right to explain where they’re at in the chart.
“But as he moved his head to look at the chart up on the screen that’s when he got grazed in the ear.”
Vanessa believes that if Trump hadn’t moved at that critical moment, the outcome could have been disastrous. The timing was everything.
Dasha Burns, a broadcaster, echoed Vanessa’s observations. The chart in question highlighted immigration rates under the Biden administration—a focal point of Trump’s speech.
“He turned to point to that chart and that is when his ear was grazed,” Burns explained.
“But to Vanessa’s point, if he hadn’t made that turn to show that chart things could’ve been a lot different.”
The aftermath of the shooting saw a quick medical response. Trump was hospitalized briefly for his ear injury but has since been released, now recuperating at his home in New Jersey.
The Republican National Committee confirmed Trump’s good condition and his gratitude towards those who responded during the crisis.
“President Trump looks forward to joining you all in Milwaukee as we proceed with our convention to nominate him to serve as the 47th President of the United States. As our party’s nominee, President Trump will continue to share his vision to Make America Great Again.”
The shooting raised serious security concerns, as highlighted by Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens. Securing such public events against determined attackers is a formidable challenge, he noted during a press briefing.
Meanwhile, the investigation continues, with authorities recovering an AR-style rifle from the scene and working to establish a motive for this violent act. The incident has left many questioning the security measures in place at such high-profile events and the implications for future political gatherings.