Photographer captures image of bullet in assassination attempt at Trump rally
Doug Mills, a photographer for The New York Times, captured what appears to be a bullet in motion near former President Donald Trump’s head during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The rally, which occurred on Saturday afternoon, quickly turned into a chaotic scene following an assassination attempt.
Michael Harrigan, a retired FBI special agent with 22 years of experience, commented on the photograph. “It absolutely could be showing the displacement of air due to a projectile,” Harrigan, who reviewed the high-resolution images, was quoted as saying. “The angle seems a bit low to have passed through his ear, but not impossible if the gunman fired multiple rounds.”
The remarkable clarity of the image, captured at a shutter speed of 1/8,000th of a second with a Sony digital camera, points to the extreme unlikelihood of such a photograph under normal circumstances. Most cameras designed to capture bullets in flight use extremely high-speed specialty cameras not typically used for regular photography, Harrigan added.
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The assailant, identified by law enforcement as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, exploited a security breach to open fire from an elevated position using an AR-15-type semiautomatic rifle.
The attack resulted in the tragic death of one audience member, Corey Comperatore, and critically injured to two others who are now in stable condition at a local hospital. The FBI confirmed the identity of Crooks and described the ongoing investigation as active, urging the public to provide any relevant information.
Authorities also discovered explosive devices in Crooks’ vehicle, parked near the rally site, along with bomb-making materials at his residence, indicating a premeditated plan of significant magnitude. The suspect had no previous criminal record.
The incident saw Trump quickly secured by Secret Service agents after a bullet pierced his right ear, causing visible bleeding. He was hospitalized briefly and released, later seen arriving at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
In response to the attack, a GoFundMe page was set up under the authorization of Trump to support the victims and families affected by the incident.
“President Donald Trump has authorized this account as a place for donations to the supporters and families wounded or killed in today’s brutal and horrific assassination attempt,” the page stated.
President Joe Biden, addressing the nation hours after the assassination attempt, condemned the violence, stating, “There’s no place in America for this kind of violence. Everyone must condemn it.”
The assassination attempt is being compared to the 1912 attempt on former President Theodore Roosevelt.
