Doug Mills, a veteran photographer with the New York Times with a history of photographing presidential moments since 1983, was just feet away from former President Donald Trump when shooting erupted in a "horrific" scene at a Pennsylvania campaign rally Saturday.
Mills stood in a buffer area with three other photographers on the hot day, only a few feet from the former president, who were maneuvering to position themselves for their usual shots.
That's when he heard three or four loud pops, and initially thought they might be car backfires. The last thing he expected was that they were gunshots, he told Times reporter Victor Mather.
"I kept taking pictures. He went down behind the lectern, and I thought, 'Oh my God, something's happened.'"
At that instant, Secret Service agents rushed onto the stage, shielding Trump completely, as someone yelled, "Sir, sir, sir."
Counter-snipers, also members of the Secret Service, who usually remain unseen unless stationed on a roof, appeared on stage out of nowhere, holding automatic rifles, Mills recounted.
The photographer told Mather that he moved from one side of the stage to the other, trying to get a better shot of the former president, when Trump stood up and raised his fist in the air.
"And I thought, he's alive, he's alive," Mills said.
Mills could see blood on Trump's face while he continued to take photos.
He noted that while Trump appeared defiant with his fist raised in one shot, the next frame showed him looking completely drained.
Describing the aftermath of the frightening incident, Mills said he turned around and saw people screaming, realizing that someone in the crowd had also been shot.
When asked if he had ever experienced a similar situation in his career, Mills replied:
"I've never been in a more horrific scene. As much as I've covered presidents for 35 to 40 years, it's not something I ever wanted to witness."
He added: "I never envisioned being in a situation like this."
