Minute by minute, the day Trump cheated death by a whisker: How shooter told his dad he wanted to borrow his AR-15 rifle to do some target practice before shocking the world with failed assassination attempt

Seven days agone a gunman's slug came wrong millimetres of sidesplitting Donald Trump, who told his followers connected Thursday: 'I shouldn't beryllium here. I had God connected my side.'

As statement rages astir nan assassin's motive and nan mistakes made by those successful complaint of nan erstwhile president's security, Jonathan Mayo gives a gripping minute-by-minute relationship of nan time a peaceful election rally turned to bloodshed...

Saturday, July 13, 10am

At nan Butler Farm Show Grounds successful Pennsylvania, 30 miles northbound of Pittsburgh, last touches are being made to lighting rigs, grandstand seating and yards of red, achromatic and bluish bunting.

Normally nan 100-acre Show Grounds are utilized for cultivation fairs and tractor exhibitions but, today, erstwhile US president Donald Trump will beryllium holding an predetermination rally.

The ex-president is celebrated present – successful 2016 and 2020, he won Butler County some times pinch 65 per cent of nan vote.

The organisers opportunity that since nan rally was announced 10 days agone much than 15,000 tickets person been sold.

11am

A long-haired 20-year-old man named Thomas Matthew Crooks arrives astatine nan Show Grounds. In May, he graduated from Allegheny County Community College pinch a grade successful engineering but is presently moving successful nan room of a section attraction home.

A fewer days ago, Crooks asked his leader if he could person Saturday disconnected arsenic he had 'something to do'.

Crooks is wearing a T-shirt pinch nan sanction of a YouTube transmission for firearms enthusiasts called Demolition Ranch connected nan front, which features videos specified arsenic 'Is nan AK-50 immoderate good?'

Earlier this morning, Crooks drove 35 miles from his location successful Bethel Park connected nan outskirts of Pittsburgh wherever he lives pinch his parents and older sister, to reconnoitre nan Show Grounds, stopping to bargain a 5ft ladder and 50 rounds of ammunition.

After hanging astir for an hour, Crooks drives away.

Later he intends to return and assassinate Donald Trump.

2.30pm

US Secret Service and section rule enforcement return up their positions. Three days ago, they made a information appraisal of nan area and decided wherever their officers and agents should beryllium deployed.

Behind nan shape are 3 ample barns wherever Secret Service sniper teams will support watch connected nan crowd, backed up by authorities troopers successful nan writer arena.

Outside nan Show Grounds' perimeter and astir 400ft to nan near of nan shape is simply a ample mill owned by a patient named AGR International but, arsenic it has a sloping roof, it was decided that it is excessively overmuch of a wellness and information consequence for constabulary snipers, truthful officers will beryllium stationed wrong nan building instead. 

Details of nan precise location of nan shape from which Donald Trump will speak this day person not been made nationalist arsenic specified accusation could beryllium useful to immoderate imaginable assassin.

The Secret Service is proud of nan truth that nary president nether their attraction has been injured since shots were fired astatine Ronald Reagan successful March 1981.

3pm

The gates to nan Show Grounds are opened to nan nationalist and everyone entering is scanned for weapons by metallic detectors. Thomas Crooks has parked his car astatine a adjacent state position and arsenic he walks done a detector, a rangefinder successful his pouch – utilized to measurement nan region of long-range targets – sets disconnected an alarm.

Security finds thing other incriminating and truthful Crooks is allowed in, but constabulary support an oculus connected him until he yet leaves nan arena.

The somesthesia is now a sweltering 90F(32C).

5.06pm

Crooks is stepping extracurricular nan perimeter of nan Show Grounds.

Nearby he has concealed a container containing an AR-15 semi-automatic firearm (one of complete 20 legally-owned weapons that beryllium to his father), ammunition, nan rangefinder and a transmitter to activate 2 explosive devices hidden successful nan footwear of his car to supply a distraction during nan shooting.

Crooks has near a 3rd explosive successful his home.

As he walks past nan AGR mill building extracurricular nan perimeter, the would-be assassin is spotted by police officers who deliberation he looks suspicious, but they suffer show of him.

5.40pm

Donald Trump's motorcade arrives astatine nan Show Grounds to ecstatic applause and cheering from supporters.

Today is Trump's last nationalist quality earlier nan commencement of nan Republican National Convention successful Milwaukee wherever he will beryllium officially selected arsenic nan party's nominee for president.

Trump's run is connected a rotation aft his statement connected June 28 pinch a confused and often incoherent President Joe Biden.

Trump declared nan pursuing day: 'Joe Biden's property is not his problem. It's his competence.'

Opinion polls put Trump up by arsenic overmuch arsenic six points.

5.45pm

A Secret Service sniper successful nan arena spots Crooks holding nan rangefinder adjacent nan AGR International factory.

He calls successful pinch a study and sends a photograph of nan man to his colleagues astir nan arena.

Soon constabulary and Secret Service radios are crackling pinch reports of a 'suspicious male' adjacent nan building.

6.05pm

It's nan infinitesimal nan 15,000 group successful nan Show Grounds person been waiting for – Donald Trump climbs connected to nan shape wearing his trademark reddish Make America Great Again shot headdress and joins successful their clapping.

As nan rapturous applause dies down he tells them 'This is simply a large crowd. This is simply a big, big, beautiful crowd', and they roar backmost their approval.

Trump goes on: 'Our state is going to hellhole if you haven't noticed. Millions and millions of group are pouring successful from prisons and intelligence institutions, we're going to extremity it.'

An serviceman from nan Butler Police Department is searching nan area astir nan mill but has yet to find Crooks.

6.08pm

Crooks uses an air-conditioning portion connected an extracurricular wall to clamber connected to nan factory, and past shimmies up its sloping tile to get a clear position of nan stage. He has pinch him his father's AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.

Below him, a mates of Trump fans named Mike and Amber DiFrischia, who arrived precocious for nan rally, person recovered a spot adjacent to nan perimeter and to their scary spot Crooks and his firearm and presume nan crowd must beryllium his target.

Amber said later: 'You don't cognize whether to deed nan deck, hide aliases conscionable guidelines still. It's very chaotic successful those divided seconds.'

They determine to tally and hide down a character and Mike starts filming nan gunman.

6.10pm

Members of nan nationalist are pointing towards nan mill tile shouting: 'He's sewage a gun!'

In response, an serviceman from nan Butler Police Department is hoisted up 8ft connected to nan tile by a colleague.

As nan policeman grips nan separator of nan building, Crooks swings information and points his firearm astatine him.

Thinking he's astir to beryllium changeable and incapable to unholster his gun, nan policeman drops to nan crushed and instantly alerts others to Crooks's location.

Investigators judge this unexpected brushwood pinch nan serviceman whitethorn person spurred Crooks to 'hurry his shots'.

6.11pm

On nan shape Trump has turned to his correct and is pointing to a floor plan connected a elephantine surface showing nan standard of forbidden migration into nan United States.

Crooks takes purpose astatine nan erstwhile president's head.

The erstwhile time nan 20 year-old visited a weapon nine wherever he is simply a personnel to practise connected nan firearm range. The club's scope is 200 yards agelong – Donald Trump is opinionated 133 yards, aliases 400ft away.

6.11pm and 33 seconds

Trump turns very somewhat to look nan crowd and says: 'That chart's a mates of months aged and if you really want to spot thing that's sad, return a look astatine what happ-'.

Suddenly shots ringing retired and Trump hears what he later described arsenic 'the world's largest mosquito' and is deed connected his correct ear. He winces, touches nan broadside of his face, looks astatine his manus which is covered successful humor and past drops to nan floor.

Black-suited Secret Service agents successful acheronian glasses large wind nan shape to screen him. One supplier shouts, 'Get down! Get down!'

Crooks keeps firing and nan assemblage commencement screaming and a slug hits nan hydraulic statement of a forklift holding a slope of speakers and nan lift's limb collapses.

In nan stands to Trump's right, erstwhile occurrence main Corey Comperatore, 50, says to his woman and 2 daughters, 'Get down!' and pushes them towards nan crushed earlier he is deed successful nan caput by a bullet.

Moments earlier Trump began his reside nan family had been opinionated disconnected to nan broadside but were offered beforehand statement seats. Two different men, David Dutch 57, and James Copenhaver 74, are critically injured by nan gunfire.

Crooks fires 8 times successful all. In nan midst of nan chaos, a female successful a achromatic shot headdress sitting down nan shape calmly gets retired her telephone and starts filming, a move that ignites nan net pinch chaotic conspiracy theories astir her engagement successful nan shooting.

Others constituent retired that it simply shows really numbed galore Americans person go to mass shootings.

6.11pm and 41 seconds

By now nan Secret Service are wholly screening nan erstwhile president and successful nan melee Trump's shoes person travel off.

The microphone connected nan lectern picks up an supplier saying: 'What are we doing? What are we doing? Where are we going?'

The crowd are confused, immoderate are filming connected their phones, immoderate drawback their children and tally for nan exits, others constituent successful nan guidance of nan AGR mill building.

6.11pm and 50 seconds

Over nan screams location is nan sound of a azygous gunshot arsenic Crooks is changeable dormant by a Secret Service sniper who according to 1 eyewitness, virtually 'blew his caput off'.

Crooks near a slug impervious vest wrong his car, starring investigators to judge he intended to dice that day.

A Secret Service supplier shielding Donald Trump says to his colleagues: 'Go astir to nan spare. Go astir to nan spare.' (A spare is simply a spare SUV limousine.)

In nan stands Corey Comperatore's woman Helen screams, 'He's been shot! He's down!' 

Emergency Room expert Jim Sweetland hears her outcry and rushes complete to find nan firefighter connected nan level wedged betwixt 2 benches, pinch humor and encephalon matter everywhere.

With nan thief of others, he gets Cory connected to a chair truthful he tin dainty him, but Cory isn't breathing truthful Dr Sweetland carries retired CPR while personification other applies unit to nan headwound.

6.12pm and 6 seconds

Two afloat equipped and armoured members of nan Hawkeye Secret Service Counter Assault squad return positions beside nan stage.

The agents astir Trump are reluctant to move successful lawsuit nan would-be assassin strikes again, but past they get confirmation successful their earpieces.

An supplier says: 'Shooter's down. Shooter's down.'

6.12pm and 33 seconds

Trump says to nan agents astir him, 'Let maine get my shoes.'

One replies, 'Sir, we've sewage to move to nan car, sir,' but Trump insists they get his shoes first truthful they are thrown disconnected nan shape towards nan spare limo and an supplier picks up his MAGA hat.

Press photographers person surrounded nan huddled group, capturing pictures of humor moving down nan broadside of Trump's face.

6.12pm and 47 seconds

The agents are astir to unreserved Trump disconnected stage, but he recognises nan powerfulness of nan infinitesimal and tells them, 'Wait, wait, wait!'

Trump past stands up pinch his hairsbreadth dishevelled and fist pumps nan crowd mouthing, 'Fight, fight, fight!' They roar their relief.

Veteran photojournalist Evan Vucci who has taken pictures successful riots and warzones has sprinted to nan broadside of nan shape wherever he reckons nan agents will lead Trump to safety.

He said later: 'In my head, I conscionable kept saying to myself, 'Slow down, slow down. Compose, compose.'

As an supplier looks correct down nan lens, and arsenic a bloodied Trump raises his fist pinch nan Stars and Stripes flying down him, Vucci takes an iconic photo.

The Secret Service agents can't hold immoderate longer and thief Trump down nan steps towards nan waiting limo. Trump raises his fist 1 last clip and gets in. 

6.14pm

After Dr Sweetland has carried retired of CPR connected Corey Comperatore for 2 minutes, a Pennsylvania authorities trooper taps nan medic connected nan enarthrosis and together pinch different serviceman picks up nan wounded man, successful Sweetland's words, 'like a rag doll' and connected to a stretcher.

All Sweetland tin opportunity to reassure nan firefighter's distressed family is 'Corey's going to spell to a spot wherever he tin get help.'

Around them everyone is subdued.

Trump protagonist Saurabh Sharma told a reporter: 'It wasn't for illustration what you'd expect retired of a crowd that conscionable knowledgeable thing for illustration this, everyone was really quiet. 

'There were a fewer women crying. They were saying, "I can't judge they tried to termination him".'

6.30pm

Donald Trump arrives astatine nan Butler Memorial Hospital and unit transportation retired respective tests including a CT scan which each travel backmost normal.

Ronny Jackson, who served arsenic Trump's White House doctor, told reporters later that Trump was missing portion of his ear.

'He was lucky. It was acold capable distant from his caput that location was nary concussive effects from nan bullet.

'And it conscionable took nan apical of his receptor off, a small spot of nan apical of his ear, arsenic it passed through.'

8.42pm

Trump sends retired a connection connected his Truth Social website thanking nan Secret Service and rule enforcement for their accelerated response.

'I knew instantly that thing was incorrect successful that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and instantly felt nan slug ripping done nan skin.

'It is unthinkable that specified an enactment tin return spot successful our country.'

Soon after, his motorcade pulls distant from nan infirmary escorted by police.

11pm

Matthew Crooks calls nan section constabulary to study his boy missing.

He tells them that Thomas had asked to get a firearm for a travel to a shooting scope and said he'd beryllium location astatine 1pm but hadn't returned.

Soon after, the FBI get to hunt nan Crooks' house.

A shocked Matthew Crooks tells news web CNN that he is trying to fig retired 'what nan hellhole is going on'.

Aftermath

Even aft a thorough hunt of Thomas Crooks' mobile telephone and computer, his motive for wanting to assassinate Donald Trump continues to mystify nan investigators.

It was revealed that Crooks was a personnel of nan Republican Party and though a loner astatine schoolhouse and assemblage he had impressed his teachers pinch his conscientious work.

There remains wide anger that nan Secret Service had not apprehended Crooks sooner and had allowed Trump to return nan shape contempt location being a threat.

Leading Republicans person called for Secret Service head Kim Cheatle to resign. Senator John Barrasso said: 'Someone has died. The President was almost killed. The caput of nan Secret Service needs to go.'

David Dutch and James Copenhaver survived nan shooting but firefighter Corey Comperatore died from his wounds. A GoFundMe page for his family has truthful acold raised much than $6 cardinal (£4.6 million).

Jonathan Mayo is nan writer of The Assassination of JFK: Minute by Minute, published by Short Books