Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a rally.

It's only days until he plans to accept the official Republican nomination.

He's just minutes into his speech when shots are fired.

Take a look at what happened.

Trump got hit, but survived.

Someone tried to assassinate him in broad daylight.

Here is how it unfolded.

By the time this video is published, new details might have emerged.

It's a hot, sweltering early evening as tens of thousands gather here to see Trump.

Pennsylvania is one of six vital swing states that will help secure the win in the next presidential election.

Butler skews heavily Republican, and it is a blue-collar town.

USA! USA! USA!

This is a big crowd. This is a big, big, beautiful crowd.

He is surrounded by supporters.

Most are sitting or standing in front of the stage.

Some sit on the bleachers, center, left and right.

Trump's support staff and security, including Secret Service agents, are right at the stage.

Behind him are three large buildings.

On the roof of the building on the far left and on the far right are Secret Service snipers.

They are constantly scanning the surroundings, looking for threats.

They can be seen in this video filmed by a crowd member.

Hello Butler and hello to Pennsylvania. I'm thrilled to be back.

Trump begins with his speech.

Things seem normal.

He turns to the right and points at a chart showing statistics on border crossings.

At the same time, several people in the crowd notice a man with a gun on the roof of a building close by.

He's got a gun! Shoot him! - He's got a gun!

It's too late.

All of a sudden, bullets start flying.

One even gets captured on camera.

Another building, about 400 feet or 120 meters north of the stage.

The shots are coming from here, on the roof.

The gunman is 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.

He is armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.

The gun was legally purchased by his father.

First, he apparently fires a round of three shots.

Take a look at what happened.

Trump reaches up with his hand.

The first bullet pierces the upper part of his right ear.

He will later say that turning over to the right at that exact moment prevented the bullet from hitting him right in the head.

He ducks down behind the podium, and within three to four seconds after the first shot, Secret Service agents swarm the former president and shield him with their bodies.

Crooks opens fire again, immediately, with five more shots.

Right before the first shot by Crooks, one of the snipers on the left roof behind Trump seems to detect the gunman and prepares to return fire.

Take a look at what happened.

Some outlets report that these snipers killed Crooks, while the Secret Service confirmed its personnel neutralized the shooter.

We could not corroborate that it was in fact these specific agents.

The gunman also hit spectators on the bleachers.

One man died, 50-year-old Cory Comprador.

Two others were critically injured.

With Trump's microphone still on, we can hear the tense exchanges among the agents.

We're about to disperse.

Hold, hold! Are you ready? On you!

Ready.

Move!

Up!

Move!

Go!

About 42 seconds after Crooks opened fire, they confirmed the shooter is down.

Shooter's down.

Shooter's down.

Are we good?

Shooter's down.

Shooter's down. Are we good to move?

Shooter's down. We're good to move.

Are we clear?

We're clear! Let's move!

They prepare to escort him to an armored vehicle.

Come on, sir. Come on.

Let me get my shoes.

I got you, sir. I got you, sir.

Let me get my shoes, sir.

Hold up, your head is bloody.

Sir, we gotta get moving to the bus.

Let me get my shoes.

One shoe is down.

Make a shield.

Watch out.

Wait, wait, wait, wait.

In about 75 seconds after ducking to the ground, Trump raises his fist.

He's mouthing the words, fight, fight, fight.

The resulting photos immediately travel around the entire world.

USA!

USA!

The crowd starts to chant for the former president as he leaves the stage, bleeding.

USA!

USA!

Trump is then rushed to a hospital.

Later that night, he is flown to New Jersey.

He appears to be well.

There are a lot of questions we don't have an answer to right now.

Why were the forces unable to prevent the attack?

Analysis on X suggests that at least the snipers on the roof behind Trump were likely scouting for dangers further away, with this rooftop possibly falling into the responsibility of other law enforcement agents.

We were unable to corroborate that.

Why couldn't armed men climb up on this building?

What was Crooks' motive?

The gunman had no criminal history and Pennsylvania's public court records.

The New York Times found a voter registration record for Crooks.

It shows that he was registered as a Republican.

They also found that he donated $15 to a liberal voter turnout group through a Democratic donation platform in 2021.

He was a kitchen worker and had a membership at a local shooting club.

The FBI found suspicious devices in both his car and home.

They are being evaluated by the agency at the time of this recording.

The investigation is ongoing and new information is being published by the minute.

President Biden and various leaders around the world condemn the attack and political violence at large.

The picture of Trump, bloodied but defiant, with a raised fist in front of the American flag, will surely become a powerful symbol in his reelection campaign.