In a historic recognition, New York Times photographer Doug Mills received the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography for capturing the precise moment a bullet flew past President Donald Trump’s head during an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. The image, taken with a Sony a1 camera at 1/8,000th of a second, shows the bullet inches from Trump’s head as he stood at the podium.
Mills, who has covered the White House since 1983, was positioned just below the stage when the shots rang out. He continued photographing as Secret Service agents rushed to shield the president. Later, while reviewing his images, Mills noticed Trump’s grimace and blood on his ear. He contacted his editor, saying, “I think this was the moment that he was shot.” Upon closer examination, they discovered the bullet in the frame.
The FBI later confirmed the authenticity of the image, noting the rarity of capturing a bullet in flight. Mills’ photograph has been hailed as a “one in a million” shot.
During the incident, Trump was grazed by the bullet but managed to stand and raise his fist to the crowd, shouting “Fight!” This act of defiance was also captured by Mills and became an iconic image of the event.
Reflecting on the experience, Mills said, “I probably didn’t do the safest thing, but I ran around the side of the stage to try and capture those moments.”
