Doug Mills, a senior photographer for the New York Times, has won the Pulitzer Prize for his dramatic photos capturing an assassination attempt on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. A gunman positioned on a nearby rooftop fired multiple shots toward Trump, striking him in the ear. Secret Service agents quickly swarmed Trump and ushered him off stage, though he managed to raise a fist in the air with blood streaming down his face before disappearing from public view.
The attacker was identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was subsequently killed by law enforcement. A spectator at the rally also lost their life. Mills’ award-winning photos captured the dramatic moments following the shooting, including Trump reaching for his ear, seeing the blood, and being guarded by Secret Service agents.
One photo showed Trump defiantly raising his fist and shouting “Fight! Fight! Fight!” before his face drained of color. The final images depicted agents covering Trump and the desolate aftermath of the rally. This is Mills’ third Pulitzer Prize, but his first solo win.
He previously won two team Pulitzers while working with The Associated Press in the 1990s for his coverage of the Clinton/Gore campaign and the later Monica Lewinsky affair. Mills described a chaotic scene when capturing his award-winning photo series.
Doug Mills captures dramatic moments
He was in a buffer zone near the stage with three other photographers when the shooting began. Mills did not immediately recognize the popping sounds as gunfire, but then all hell broke loose. “When I realized he went down so quickly, he looked at his hand, went down, and then you’re running around hearing ‘active shooter, active shooter, get down, get down,'” Mills explained.
“I’m looking around and I see some of the other staff members, a couple of cameramen that were in the buffer zone — they were already taking cover, and the President fell out of my sight.”
Mills attributed his ability to capture the dramatic images to the latest camera technology. He explained how he opted for a wide-angle lens over a telephoto one during the chaos to better capture the unfolding scene. Modern gear allows photojournalists to work faster and more effectively.
Reflecting on the incident, Mills said, “I’ve always feared being in this situation… I hope I get the right shot. I hope I’m not shot myself.
It’s not something I ever wanted to witness.”
Another apparent assassination attempt on Trump occurred in Palm Beach, Florida, outside of Mar-a-Lago on September 15, 2024. Suspect Ryan Routh was charged with attempted assassination and other federal charges after allegedly aiming a gun through the fence of Trump International Golf Club. Routh has pleaded not guilty, and his case is pending trial.
