Doug Mills, a seasoned photojournalist, has been awarded the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography for his gripping image of a bullet streaking past former President Donald Trump’s head during an assassination attempt.
The dramatic moment occurred on July 13, 2024, at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Mills, positioned just feet from the stage, instinctively continued shooting photos as gunfire erupted. One of those images later revealed the precise instant a bullet flew by Trump’s head—an image that has since become iconic.
At the time, Mills was unaware he had captured the bullet in motion. It was only during post-event review that editors noticed the harrowing detail frozen in time by his lens. The photo has been hailed for its technical precision and historical weight, symbolizing both the danger of the moment and the power of photojournalism.
This marks the third Pulitzer win for Mills, whose previous honors include coverage of major political milestones. His work continues to underscore the vital role journalists play in documenting events as they unfold—often amid chaos and danger.