Reporter’s Notebook | At the Scene of the Trump Assassination Attempt (AI Translation)

记者手记｜特朗普遇刺现场

On July 13, 2024, during a pivotal campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, former U.S. President and current Republican nominee Donald Trump survived an apparent assassination attempt, an event that significantly affected the political climate ahead of the upcoming presidential election [para. 1][para. 2][para. 3]. The incident occurred at approximately 6:11-6:12 p.m. Eastern Time, when gunshots rang out as Trump addressed thousands of supporters in a key battleground state [para. 1].

The rally was one of Trump’s final campaign events before the Republican National Convention, scheduled for July 15. Butler, a Republican-leaning small town about 56 kilometers north of Pittsburgh, hosted the event, drawing an estimated six to seven thousand people despite the extreme heat, with temperatures reaching around 33°C [para. 2][para. 4][para. 12]. Attendees, mostly white and spanning all ages, endured hours under the sun to see Trump, underscoring the depth of support in the region [para. 3][para. 12]. Security and medical staff responded frequently to heat-related exhaustion among the crowd [para. 4].

Trump took the stage wearing his trademark red “MAGA” cap at 6:02 p.m., energizing the audience with his familiar style and a speech focusing largely on immigration. As Trump was presenting immigration data, gunfire erupted, creating chaos and panic among the crowd [para. 5][para. 6]. The author, positioned about a dozen meters from Trump, vividly described the confusion and fear, with people dropping to the ground and some initially mistaking a burst water hose for part of the mayhem [para. 1][para. 7][para. 8].

Amid the chaos, Trump sensed danger, heard bullets whistling, and swiftly took cover behind the lectern, clutching his right ear, reportedly having felt shrapnel pierce his skin [para. 9][para. 10]. Secret Service agents immediately shielded Trump, keeping him crouched for over a minute before helping him up. Despite being disheveled and injured, Trump made an effort to reassure his supporters, raising his fist and shouting “Fight, fight, fight!” as he was escorted from the stage to safety, actions that reignited cheers from the crowd [para. 11][para. 12].

The shooter was quickly identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. He was shot dead at the scene by Secret Service snipers [para. 17][para. 18][para. 19]. The FBI continues to investigate the attack and has not yet established a motive, urging the public to submit any relevant evidence [para. 19]. The aftermath saw medical teams evacuating several injured spectators, including two seriously wounded and one who died; these facts were later confirmed by authorities [para. 20][para. 22][para. 23].

Despite the severity of the attack, crowd management remained relatively orderly, and panic did not escalate significantly. As attendees processed what had happened, the atmosphere shifted from celebration to unease and confusion [para. 24][para. 25]. The incident dominated national news, while political leaders across party lines, including President Joe Biden, quickly offered strong condemnation and condolences, declaring that violence has “absolutely no place” in American politics [para. 27][para. 28][para. 29]. Iconic images of Trump raising his fist in defiance after the attack rapidly spread online, cementing the gravity of the moment [para. 31]. The event underscored the vulnerability of public figures in today’s polarized climate and left a profound impact on all those in attendance [para. 30].