Focused amid the gunfire, an AP photographer captures another perspective of attack on Trump

Gene Puskar has been with The Associated Press for 45 years. Based in Pittsburgh, his career has spanned a wide range of events including the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island, the Sept. 11 attack that downed Flight 93, Stanley Cups and World Series, many presidential and campaign events and, his favorite, the Little League World Series. Here’s what he had to say about making this extraordinary photo.

Why this photo

It was a political rally assignment like hundreds before that I’ve covered over 45 years with The Associated Press – until it wasn’t.

I arrived at the Butler Farm Show at 8 a.m. for hopefully — most don’t start on time — a 5:30 p.m. appearance by former President Donald Trump and the traffic was already backed up to get into the parking lot.

A fairway of Trump merchandise tents were in place and business was boomin’. At 8 a.m.!

The Secret Service designated 10:30 a.m. as the pre-set time for photographers to stake out their spot on the back riser camera stand. I was to be stationed right in the center, 100 feet from the podium. We marked our spots with a tripod or ladder, mine with a giant AP in bright green tape on it.

By 11:30 the pre-set was over, and the Secret Service locked down the site for a security sweep. We were allowed to return, this time through security, at 1 p.m.

A steady stream of local, state and federal politicians riled up the crowd from 1-6 p.m. as they waited for Trump. I stood shoulder to shoulder with three other photographers and cameramen, hot, dehydrated, hungry — waiting for the main attraction to appear at center stage.

How I made this photo

Finally — shortly after 6 p.m. — Trump made his entrance. He stopped every few feet to point to folks in the audience and pump his