A special guest invited by former President Donald Trump's campaign to a rally in Pennsylvania spoke to the Daily Caller News Foundation about what he witnessed when gunfire broke out during an assassination attempt on the Republican frontrunner.
Benjamin Schrader, event coordinator and CEO of Schrader Promotions LLC, was invited to Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Thursday. Schrader told DCNF the terrifying moment he witnessed several shots being fired into the crowd, hitting a rally-goer.
Schrader said he was given the opportunity to meet Trump after arriving at the event, taking a photo with the Republican presidential candidate and noting his “very gracious” and happy demeanor, before taking his seat in a VIP area to the left of the stage. At approximately 6:11 p.m. EDT, gunfire began ringing out as Trump was addressing attendees. (Related article: Exclusive: 'There's no stopping him': Trump world reacts to assassination attempt on former president)
“I was definitely sitting next to [the] Third row in the back, next to the bleachers but very close to the President. So he stood up, and everybody was cheering, and everybody was talking, and he pulled out a chart. and tThen I found that — And what surprised me was how quiet it was. Pop, pop, pop, pop etc. It's like the sound of darts. Or it sounded like a cartoon, and it was very strange,” Schrader told DCNF.
“So I hunker down OneAnd I turn around and look back, and I think you know what most people are saying, “Oh my goodness.“Hey, somebody let me sneak in some fireworks.” People aren't panicking yet. But when I turned around, lAbout 3 to 5 meters behind me I cI don't know if it's a man or a woman, but someone Together Lots of blood OneAnd it was spilling out,” Schrader continued.I've never seen anyone get shot, but yeahThat was bad.”
Attack on Trump's Pennsylvania rally (Image credit: Benjamin Schroeder)
Attack on Trump's Pennsylvania rally (Image credit: Benjamin Schroeder)
Attack on Trump's Pennsylvania rally (Image credit: Benjamin Schroeder)
Video taken by the CEO and obtained by the DCNF shows scenes of shock from a nearby crowd. In one clip, a woman near Schrader can be heard screaming, “Oh my God,” and a man can be seen standing and yelling, “One shot.” Screams for emergency medical personnel can also be heard on the video.
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Video obtained by DCNF from Benjamin Schrader shows the moments after shots were heard at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania (1/3) pic.twitter.com/GFgHqyaQyV
— Haley Grace Gomez (@haileyggomez) July 14, 2024
— Haley Grace Gomez (@haileyggomez) July 14, 2024
— Haley Grace Gomez (@haileyggomez) July 14, 2024
“I tI don't think a lot of people were aware of what was going on. There was a lot of confusion at the time, but I don't think so. And There was no cell phone reception, and everyone was on their cell phones, so no one had any information other than rumors.To that end, I believe that some people hair“I was panicking and didn't know what was going on,” Schrader said.
“SSome people, like me, tried to remain calm and think that this was a dangerous situation. YeahYou need to stay calm. Others were confused and angry that something had happened. There were a few people in the crowd who said, “Oh, no, he wasn't shot, he wasn't shot.” I think there was a lot of confusion, but nobody [who] “I really knew what was going on,” Schrader continued.
Video of the attack quickly circulated online. As Trump spoke to the crowd, multiple gunshots rang out through the audience. An image taken by New York Times photographer Doug Mills showed Trump's bloody hand as he removed it from his right ear as he sensed the bullets whizzing past.
Schrader said Secret Service agents quickly converged on the stage to protect the former president, and he estimated the attacker was apprehended by authorities within five to 10 minutes of the attack.
“What's funny to me is circleThis is the building, where I was sitting, and where the president was, so there was a line. I was witnessing exactly what was happening. It's crazy, I mean. “Whatever room you're in, look around the entire room,” Schrader told DCNF. “I feel like how far away that person was from me. I feel like I'm so —tThank you God, IIf only I had kept my rosary beads in my pocket, the day could have been completely different for me and my family.”
I will go there [at the polls] No matter what happens, I always [that] Voting is an important civic duty. I'm going out in a dress shirt. This made me support him even more and I think that was the effect it had on the whole crowd. He showed so much courage and strength. Most people would have jumped in. circleIf you get shot,But he raised his fistSchrader said:
Shortly after the attack, an emergency physician who was in the crowd at the time told CBS News how he tried to save the life of a man who had been hit by a bullet. Covered in blood, the doctor described to the reporter how the victim had been shot in the head. “There was a lot of blood and brain tissue was in there as well,” the doctor said. The doctor said he performed both chest compressions and CPR on the victim.
FBI officials have since Identified The gunman was identified as 20-year-old Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, after he was linked to an attempted assassination of President Trump. Shortly after the attack, authorities confirmed that Crooks died at the scene.
Corey Comperatore, 50, a former volunteer fire chief in Buffalo Township, was killed in the attack and his family Posts On facebook.
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