Donald Trump assassination attempt: An hour that shook America

Donald Trump's would-be killer was spotted long before he took his first shot. The BBC pieces together the events of that day.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessWomen at the HelmFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersInches from death: An hour that shook AmericaThe flinch was instinctive as the first crack sounded around Butler's showgrounds. Donald Trump's hand darted to his ear as more cracks came in. Screams welled up from the crowd as he ducked, and as Secret Service agents buried him in the mass of their bodies.

It had just gone 18:12 on Saturday, 13 July, and Thomas Matthew Crooks, having already been flagged by police as suspicious, had managed to climb onto a warehouse roof, line up his AR-15 style rifle, and fire a volley of bullets towards the former president.

What happened in just a few moments at Butler Farm Show grounds would shake American politics, and leave many asking how a man was able to enter the grounds with a powerful gun, climb to a firing spot unchallenged, and get within an inch of Trump's life.

Using witness accounts, original reporting and statements from law enforcement, the BBC has pieced together a picture of the events that chaotic day.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cw5yrv2kwexo

---