Timeline: The taking pictures at Trump rally in Pennsylvania

Regardless of the 90-degree warmth, 1000’s descended on Pennsylvania’s Butler Farm Present, which is a roughly 100 acre fairground used for agricultural exhibitions. Former President Donald Trump had appeared on the web site earlier than.

Butler County voted overwhelmingly for Trump in 2020, so the group was anticipated to be as pleasant as you’d discover within the nation. 

However issues took a sudden, lethal flip, minutes after the previous president and presumptive Republican nominee started talking. 

Here is a timeline of the tried assassination of Trump on Saturday, July 13.

6:03 p.m.: Trump takes the stage; gunman noticed by witnesses

Donald Trump took the stage at 6:03 p.m. native time — about the identical time {that a} man was noticed on the roof of a constructing about 160 yards, or some 400 toes, away. The person was carrying an AR-style semiautomatic rifle. 

Spectators alerted police, and an armed officer tried to verify the roof.

“We observed a man crawling, , bear-crawling up the roof of the constructing beside us, 50 toes away from us,” one witness mentioned. “So we’re standing there, , we’re pointing on the man crawling up the roof.”

“He had a rifle — we might clearly see him with a rifle,” the witness added. 

The sheriff mentioned one officer tried to achieve the gunman however needed to fall again.

“All I do know is the officer had each arms up on the roof to stand up onto the roof,” Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe informed CBS Pittsburgh station KDKA, however the officer by no means made it “as a result of the shooter had turned in direction of the officer.”

“And rightfully and smartfully, the officer let go,” Slupe mentioned. After that, the shooter turned his rifle again in direction of the rally and the group and began taking pictures, Slupe mentioned. 

6:11 p.m.: Three photographs are fired, then extra photographs

As Trump was speaking about immigration, the primary three photographs had been fired. They got here from Trump’s proper. Then three extra photographs had been fired, adopted by what appeared like an outgoing shot, as the group erupted into screams.

Video recorded by a member of the viewers exhibits Secret Service snipers aiming at one thing within the route of the gunman. A last shot is heard 15 seconds later.

Secret Service brokers surrounded Trump, who was grazed within the ear, as blood ran down his face. It took a minute and a half to get the previous president off the stage. 

As Secret Service brokers tried to hustle him into his ready SUV, Trump defiantly raised his fist a number of occasions and appeared to say, “Struggle.” 

Some folks within the crowd turned their consideration to three others who’d been shot. The victims included 50-year-old Corey Comperatore — a firefighter, father and large fan of Donald Trump. He was shot within the head and killed.

“I requested Corey’s spouse if it will be OK for me to share that we spoke,” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro mentioned at a information convention the following day. “She mentioned sure. She additionally requested that I share with all of you that Corey died a hero, that Corey dove on his household to guard them final evening at this rally. Corey was the perfect of us. Could his reminiscence be a blessing.”

Two different folks — David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74 — had been critically wounded. CBS Information has realized one of many victims is in a medically-induced coma. 

Trump was taken to a close-by hospital for therapy.

8:13 p.m.: President Biden speaks out towards violence

President Biden made an announcement in Delaware, the place he had been spending the weekend. 

“There is not any place in America for this type of violence,” Mr. Biden mentioned. “It is sick. It is sick. It is one of many causes we’ve got to unite this nation. We can not permit for this to be occurring. We can’t be like this. We can not condone this.”

Afterward, Mr. Biden returned to the White Home, the place he was briefed on the assassination try. 

8:42 p.m.: Trump posts he is been shot in his ear

Trump wrote on Reality Social: “I used to be shot with a bullet that pierced the higher a part of my proper ear. I knew instantly one thing was unsuitable in that I heard a whizzing sound, photographs, and instantly felt the bullet ripping via the pores and skin. A lot bleeding befell.”

A short while later, he left the hospital, headed to the airport and flew to New Jersey.

1:20 a.m. Sunday: FBI identifies the gunman

Early Sunday morning, the FBI recognized the gunman as Thomas Matthew Crooks. He was 20 years previous and lived in Bethel, Pennsylvania, about 50 miles from the rally web site. He graduated with an affiliate’s diploma in engineering science from a group faculty and labored at a nursing and rehabilitation heart. 

Thus far, investigators say his motive isn’t identified. They are saying he seems to have acted alone, and so they haven’t discovered any clear indication of his intentions or threats in his social media accounts.

Investigators all through the evening and morning searched the suspect’s dwelling and automobile. They mentioned they discovered suspicious units in his dwelling and car that had been rendered protected by bomb technicians.

A former classmate at Bethel Park Excessive Faculty informed CBS Information that Crooks tried out for the highschool’s rifle staff however didn’t make it. Jameson Myers described him as “a standard boy” and a “good child who by no means talked poorly of anybody,” and added, “I by no means have thought him able to something I’ve seen him do in the previous couple of days.”

7:36 a.m.: Trump thanks folks for his or her prayers 

Sunday morning, Trump posted a message on Reality Social thanking folks for his or her ideas and prayers, saying “it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from occurring.”

“We are going to FEAR NOT, however as a substitute stay resilient in our Religion and Defiant within the face of Wickedness,” Trump wrote, saying he was praying for the restoration of the individuals who had been killed and wounded within the taking pictures. 

“On this second, it’s extra necessary than ever that we stand United, and present our True Character as People, remaining Robust and Decided, and never permitting Evil to Win,” Trump wrote.

10:21 a.m.: Melania Trump calls the shooter “a monster”

Melania Trump additionally issued an announcement on social media. 

“America, the material of our light nation is tattered, however our braveness and customary sense should ascend and convey us again collectively as one,” the previous first girl mentioned.

She mentioned that when she watched the “violent bullet” strike her husband, she realized that her life and that of the couple’s son Barron was “on the point of devastating change.”

“A monster who acknowledged my husband as an inhuman political machine tried to ring out Donald’s ardour – his laughter, ingenuity, love of music and inspiration,” Melania wrote.

2:09 p.m.: Trump says he’ll Milwaukee

Trump confirmed on Reality Social that he was flying to Wisconsin as deliberate to attend the Republican Nationwide Conference, which kicks off Monday.

“Based mostly on yesterday’s horrible occasions, I used to be going to delay my journey to Wisconsin, and The Republican Nationwide Conference, by two days, however have simply determined that I can not permit a “shooter,” or potential murderer, to pressure change to scheduling, or anything,” Trump wrote. 

“Subsequently, I will likely be leaving for Milwaukee, as scheduled, at 3:30 P.M. TODAY,” he added.

8 p.m.: Biden delivers Oval Workplace deal with

President Biden addressed the nation from the Oval Workplace Sunday night.

“We will not permit this violence to be normalized,” Mr. Biden mentioned. “The political rhetoric on this nation has gotten very heated. It is time to cool it down. All of us have a duty to try this.” 

He added that “politics mustn’t ever be a literal battlefield, God forbid, a killing subject.” 

The president cited quite a few violent political acts lately, together with the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol, a foiled plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the assault on the husband of former Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and the intimidation of election officers. 

“In America, we resolve our variations” on the poll field, Mr. Biden mentioned, “not with bullets.”

The FBI says it has acquired greater than 2,600 suggestions thus far. Investigators are actually engaged on that timeline in reverse, from the taking pictures and all of the moments main as much as it, as they dissect the would-be murderer’s life within the days and months previous to July 13.