Current:Home > InvestPhotographer Doug Mills on capturing bullet during Trump's rally assassination attempt-InfoLens
Photographer Doug Mills on capturing bullet during Trump's rally assassination attempt
View Date:2024-12-23 14:43:15
Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Doug Mills had his finger on the shutter when a gunman opened fire during former President Donald Trump's rally on Saturday.
Mills, who was covering the rally for the New York Times, initially thought the noise came from a vehicle, but he quickly realized it was something much more serious.
"When I saw him kind of grimace and look to his right and then grab his ear, and looked at it, I thought, and then he went down. I was like, 'Oh my gosh, he's been shot'," said Mills.
Mills has covered presidents since 1983 but never envisioned he would be witnessing an assassination attempt.
According to law enforcement officials, the shooter, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, shot into the rally the former president was holding and fired six to eight rounds with an AR-style weapon. A Secret Service sniper quickly shot and killed him. Armed agents immediately whisked Trump off the stage, blood running down the side of his face.
One audience member, Pennsylvania firefighter Corey Comperatore, was killed in the shooting, and two other men are in critical condition.
Despite the chaos, Mills kept taking photos with his Sony camera, which shoots 30 frames per second.
"When he was ushered off the stage, I thought that was going to be the picture that, you know, he was bloodied ear, gave that fist pump. And I thought, you know, as I'm looking back at my camera, I'm sending pictures directly to The New York Times from my camera," said Mills.
Mills suddenly realized he had forgotten to send the photos taken while Trump was speaking. As he reviewed them, he noticed Trump grimacing and thought it might be the moment he was shot. He immediately sent those images to his editor and urged her to closely examine them. Although she initially doubted it, she called back a few minutes later and let him know he had captured something bigger – an image likely to be seen in history books years from now.
"I got a text and a call from her saying, You won't believe this. We think we have a picture. You have a picture of the bullet behind his head. And I was like, 'Oh my gosh'," Mills said.
Mills then sent the raw image file to ensure all data was included. An FBI forensic expert later verified that the photo indeed showed the bullet.
Another pivotal image from this incident shows the former president raising his fist and yelling at the crowd to "fight." Mills described how, at that moment, Trump appeared defiant, looking at the crowd and yelling. However, just a few frames later, the shock seemed to hit him.
"He has a completely blank look. He looked very pale at the time, and then all the blood was on his ear and then coming out of it around his mouth. And I thought, 'Oh my gosh. I hope it's not as bad as it looks'," said Mills.
Mills' mentor, Ron Edmonds, the late photographer for the Associated Press, was present during the assassination attempt on former President Ronald Reagan. Mills recalled speaking with him many times over their 15 years working together and remembered his advice: Always keep shooting.
"So when it happened, even though the former president's staff were yelling at me to get down, get down, and the Secret Service were yelling at us to get down, I probably didn't do the safest thing, but I ran around the side of the stage to try and capture those moments," said Mills.
See more of Mills' photos in the New York Times here.
- In:
- Trump Rally
- Donald Trump
Analisa Novak is a content producer for CBS News and the Emmy Award-winning "CBS Mornings." Based in Chicago, she specializes in covering live events and exclusive interviews for the show. Analisa is a United States Army veteran and holds a master's degree in strategic communication from Quinnipiac University.
TwitterveryGood! (4749)
Related
- 'Devastation is absolutely heartbreaking' from Southern California wildfire
- Texas woman who sued state for abortion travels out of state for procedure instead
- Bronze top hat missing from Abraham Lincoln statue in Kentucky
- Jennifer Aniston Says Sex Scene With Jon Hamm Was Awkward Enough Without This
- Guns smuggled from the US are blamed for a surge in killings on more Caribbean islands
- The best time to see the Geminid meteor shower is this week. Here's how to view.
- US rapper Kendrick Lamar dazzles as he shares South Africa stage with local artists
- Denver man sentenced to 40 years in beating death of 9-month-old girl
- Republican David Schweikert wins reelection in affluent Arizona congressional district
- Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton working his way into the NBA MVP race
Ranking
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom will spend part of week in DC as he tries to Trump-proof state policies
- Man filmed wielding folding chair in riverfront brawl pleads guilty to misdemeanor
- Miss Nicaragua pageant director announces her retirement after accusations of ‘conspiracy’
- Turkey under pressure to seek return of Somalia president’s son involved in fatal traffic crash
- Advance Auto Parts is closing hundreds of stores in an effort to turn its business around
- Skier triggers avalanche on Mount Washington, suffers life-threatening injury
- Bluestocking Bookshop of Michigan champions used books: 'I see books I've never seen before'
- Ciara Gives Birth, Welcomes Baby With Husband Russell
Recommendation
-
Watch out, Temu: Amazon Haul, Amazon's new discount store, is coming for the holidays
-
Packers vs. Giants Monday Night Football live updates: Odds, predictions, how to watch
-
Cardi B confirms split with husband Offset: 'I been single for a minute now'
-
Denver Broncos QB Russell Wilson and singer Ciara welcome daughter Amora Princess
-
Incredible animal moments: Watch farmer miraculously revive ailing chick, doctor saves shelter dogs
-
Honey Boo Boo's Anna Chickadee Cardwell Privately Married Eldridge Toney Before Her Death at 29
-
MLB's big market teams lock in on star free agent pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto
-
Tensions between Congo and Rwanda heighten the risk of military confrontation, UN envoy says