Assassination attempt on Trump: The head movement saves from tragedy

The simulation shows that Donald Trump's life was decided by mere inches. The bullet trajectory indicates that if it weren't for the former president's head movement, the bullet would have hit him.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump was shot in the ear on Saturday during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Two people died, including the attacker, and two others were seriously injured. The condition of the Republican candidate in the fall elections is good.

The attempted assassination of the former president took place a few minutes after the speech began in Butler, about 48 kilometres from Pittsburgh. Moments after two shots were heard, the former president took cover under a pulpit, holding his ear, and was then covered by his Secret Service agents.

The simulation of the bullet's trajectory clearly shows that if not for Trump's expression and last-moment movement before the shot, the bullet would have hit the former president's skull. The shot could have been fatal.

Trump, with a bloodied face and ear, stood up on his own, shaking his fist toward the crowd, which responded by chanting "USA!". Shortly after Trump fell, a series of shots fired by the authorities could be heard. Trump's spokesperson, Steven Cheung, said the former president was unharmed.

In a statement issued by the U.S. Secret Service, the assailant "fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue" and was killed. They added that one of the rally participants died, and two others were injured and are in critical condition.

The attacker was identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.

One of the event participants told BBC television that he saw the assailant positioning himself to shoot with a rifle from the roof of a nearby building over 90 metres away. The man stated that people standing nearby pointed him out to the police a few minutes before he fired the shots.