Eyewitness Describes Terrifying Moment Shots Rang Out at Trump Rally: 'And Then The President Went Down'
The former president was seen with blood running down the side of his face after shots rang out at his rally on Saturday, July 13
Anna Moneymaker/Getty
James E. Hulings was only a few feet away from Donald Trump when the gunfire rang out during the former president's rally in Butler County, Pa., on Saturday July 13.
One person at the rally was killed and two were critically injured, the Secret Service announced, adding that the shooter was also deceased.
Trump, who had blood running down his face after the shooting, said he was shot in his right ear, and the Secret Service said he was safe and was being evaluated.
Hulings tells PEOPLE the gunfire began after "Donald had just started to speak, giving a nice little talk" on the hot summer day, on which, Hulings says, some people had passed out from the heat.
Suddenly, loud noises rang out, which Hulings initially thought were fireworks.
"There were three pops over to my left. Pop, pop, pop — and my first thought was, 'What are they doing setting off firecrackers? It's not a good thing to do, it’s a crowd…the next president's up there. Oh my God, what's wrong with people?"
"And then," Hulings says, "the president went down. And Secret Service people piled on him."
Trump survived what authorities are investigating as an attempted assasination, promptly standing up to show a raised fist at his followers and mouthing the word, "Fight."
In a statement on Truth Social, Trump said he "was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear," adding that he heard "a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin."
Related: Donald Trump Campaign Rally Shooting: All the Historic Photos
Hulings says that in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, "There was a lot of confusion at that one point as you can imagine, but nobody left. We just stood on our spot."
Anyone with information that may assist with the investigation is asked to call the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
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