Panic, Chaos, Relief: New Video Angle From Behind Trump's Podium Captures The Moment Assassin Fired Shots

New footage from behind the stage reveals the moments before and after gunfire erupted at the Donald Trump rally on Saturday during an attempted assassination. The video captures the chaos and rapid response as shots were fired.

Trump was shot in the ear during a campaign rally after a major security lapse, an attack that will likely reshape this year’s presidential race. In the moments after the shooting, Trump was swarmed and covered up by his security agents. He quickly emerged, his face streaked with blood and pumped his fist in the air.

READ MORE: Donald Trump Shooting LIVE: Assassination Attempt On Ex-US President, Shooter Identified As Thomas M Crooks

READ MORE: Donald Trump Assassination Bid: Thomas Matthew Crooks ID’d As Shooter, FBI Says No Motive Found Yet

The FBI identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the “subject involved” in what it termed an attempted assassination in a statement early on Sunday. He was a registered Republican, according to state voter records.

Earlier the Secret Service said in a statement that the shooter was dead, one attendee at the rally was killed and two other spectators were injured. Law enforcement officials told reporters they had not yet identified a motive for the attack. Trump, 78, had just started his speech when the shots rang out.

He grabbed his right ear with his right hand, then brought his hand down to look at it before dropping to his knees behind the podium before Secret Service agents covered him. He emerged about a minute later, his red “Make America Great Again” hat knocked off, and could be heard saying “wait, wait,” before pumping his fist in the air. Agents then rushed him to a black SUV.

READ MORE: On Camera: The Moment Donald Trump Was Shot At During Campaign Rally In Pennsylvania

“I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear,” Trump said later on his Truth Social platform following the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, about 50 km north of Pittsburgh. He left the Butler area under the protection of the U.S. Secret Service with the assistance of the Pennsylvania state police and later arrived at his golf resort and residence in Bedminster, New Jersey.

The shooting occurred less than four months before the Nov. 5 election, when Trump, the Republican candidate, faces an election rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden. Most opinion polls including those by Reuters/Ipsos show the two locked in a close contest.

(With agency inputs)