STEUBENVILLE — It’s been several days since gunshots erupted at a political rally for former President Donald Trump at the Butler County Fairgrounds in Butler, Pa.

What was supposed to be a day of excitement turned grim when at 6:11 p.m. Saturday, mere minutes after Trump took the stage, he was fired upon from a building 410 feet away, with one bullet piercing his ear and drawing blood.

Authorities identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pa., who was killed by Secret Service snipers moments after opening fire. Investigations continue to search for a motive.

In the shooting’s wake, one spectator was killed — 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, a firefighter from Sarver, Pa. Two other spectators, James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township and David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, were critically injured but are listed in stable condition in Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh.

The experience is still fresh in the minds of witnesses, including several from the Tri-State Area who traveled close to an hour and a half for the rally.

Attending the rally together were Dave Sullivan and Chris Takach, both from Steubenville and members of the Steubenville Fire Department.

Sullivan, a captain for the department and the owner/operator of Hollywood Family Eye Care, said the two wanted to experience a rally held for the former president. Though they weren’t on duty or representing the fire department, they each wore a fire helmet.

An assistant chief with the department, Takach recalled how he and Sullivan arrived at the rally around 1 p.m. With temperatures around 90 degrees, the two spent much of that time aiding other spectators who were experiencing dehydration, overheating or fatigue. The two eventually took up a spot near the grandstand to the stage’s left.

Scheduled to speak at 5 p.m., Trump didn’t take the stage until just after 6 p.m. Minutes later, as he was speaking, the crack of gunshots echoed through the fairgrounds. Sullivan said he heard a bullet ricochet off a nearby crane, where it severed a hydraulic line and began a spray of oil. Soon after, another shot was heard ricocheting off the grandstands.

“That’s when I told Chris: ‘Hit the ground, shots are being fired,'” Sullivan said.

Takach said, “In my mind, I was like: ‘There’s no way this is happening.'”

After being covered by Secret Service agents, Trump raised his fist and showed he was OK. The sign was “pure adrenaline for me,” Takach said, and a calming force on the confused and scared crowd.

Sullivan said he heard a woman from the nearby grandstands screaming that someone had been shot, and the two firefighters jumped into action. They assisted in clearing metal barricades, allowing two injured spectators to be carried away for medical assistance.

After helping with the injured, the two men began to make their way out of the rally area — Takach estimated the entire ordeal lasted only five minutes. The whole experience was an important moment in history and “something I’ll never forget,” Takach said, with Sullivan adding that it was a “senseless tragedy and a sad day for America.”

Both men offered sympathy for the late Comperatore, a fellow firefighter, and his family.

Also present for the rally were Rose Annette Arnold, her son, Anthony Arnold, and her best friend of 50 years, Theresa Boyd — all from Weirton.

A registered nurse of 37 years, Rose Arnold has been to four or five other Trump rallies, but “something was off that day” from the start. Normally, she said, spectators must show a confirmation code upon check-in, but that wasn’t requested this time. Furthermore, Boyd had a wristlet pouch that security officers didn’t look inside, which Arnold found unusual.

Multiple other oddities struck Arnold, including spectators allegedly carrying normally banned items like metal-tipped umbrellas and purses. Arnold said also that there were woods on the stage’s right and a water tank near that area, both of which appeared to be un-patrolled by security.

When the shots rang out, the Arnolds and Boyd were near the press area, about 115 feet from the stage, estimated Anthony Arnold, a second-year finance student at Franciscan University of Steubenville.

People ducked, including Anthony Arnold, who was quickly covered by his mother and Boyd, who had to stoop more slowly due to having two replacement knees.

Getting emotional, Rose Arnold recalled, “I tried to cover him. Theresa got on Anthony, too. I said, ‘Theresa, you protect yourself.'”

Not even 10 minutes later, security began directing spectators out of the area. Rose Arnold recalled the atmosphere as being surprisingly calm when a shooting had just taken place, a sentiment shared by Arnold, who called the scene a “somber walk-out,” and separately by Sullivan.

“Everybody was kind,” Arnold said. “There was no violence, no rioting, nothing. … Gunshots in a public place should cause panic. There was none, and that was what struck me.”

Only now is the shock of what happened beginning to fade away, Boyd said, adding, “I did kind of emotionally break down the next day. … It was hard.”

Anthony Arnold said he’s glad his mother, Boyd and Trump escaped alive, adding, “This is history. … In a way, I’m glad I was there to see it.”

Rose Arnold attributed Trump’s safety to divine intervention, saying, “It had to have been St. Michael who protected him. I was so tearful over that. I said, ‘Theresa, the angels are here to protect him today.”

Eric Meek, head football coach of Catholic Central High School and a teacher at Toronto Junior High School, said hearing the gunshots and the sound of people crying was “horrific” and “very traumatic.”

“It just turned from happiness to horror in a matter of seconds.”

Meek recalled standing near the left grandstand and seeing a spark of a bullet fly off of a John Deere tractor parked to his right. He immediately began recording the scene, even capturing the Steubenville firefighters as they aided in the rescue.

As for security, Meek said he also noticed the nearby water tower and simply assumed there were Secret Service agents on top. Most curious was a moment prior to Trump taking the stage, when two police officers climbed on the tractor and appeared to be looking at something in the crowd.

Dave Brown, a volunteer coach at Catholic Central who joined Meek for the rally, said it’s possible the officers — who he identified as Pennsylvania state troopers — were looking for a possible shooter, noting that reports have come out claiming spectators noticed the rooftop shooter minutes before Trump was set to emerge and attempted to notify security.

Having served as a Marine with a background in surveillance and monitoring, Brown was able to ascertain where the bullet that hit the hydraulic line came from based on where the oil was spraying from. He pointed this and other observations out to nearby agents and proceeded to aid in evacuating people.

Brown said security’s threat assessment apparently experienced a “huge breakdown” that allowed the shooter onto the building.

“It definitely seemed like a real lack of preparedness. The highest elevated level should’ve been checked. If (the shooter) had had some training, (Trump) would’ve been dead.”

Brown said he and Meek would soon be speaking with the Catholic Central team about the experience they underwent, stressing how football helps them to prepare for life and dealing with stressful situations.

Late Tuesday, Copenhaver’s family issued a statement through Dan Laurent, vice president of corporate communications for the Allegheny Health Network in which they sent appreciation for the outpouring of support they have received since Saturday.

“Jim would like to especially thank the first responders, medics and hospital staff who have provided him with initial and continuing care,” the statement said. “Additionally, Jim would like to express his thoughts and prayers for the other victims, their families and President Trump. He prays for a safe and speedy recovery for them all.”

The family requested privacy and said no further statements would be made at this time.