Thousands gather for Trump's first rally since shooting incident (PHOTOS)
Thousands waited for hours on a hot summer day in Grand Rapids to show their support for Donald Trump at his first rally since a gunman shot him in the ear last week in an attempted assassination.
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Many of the Trump voters at Saturday's event in the battleground state of Michigan would not let that shooting, which wounded Trump's ear and killed an audience member, deter them, they told the BBC.
Trump is scheduled to address the crowd, around 17:00 EST (22:00 BST), but people began camping out in a queue as early as the night before.
By 13:00 EST, a line stretched for about three miles (4.8km) outside the 12,000-person Van Del Arena.
Unlike last week's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the Grand Rapids event was held indoors, allowing security officers to carefully monitor who entered and to cut off threats from outside the rally.
The increased security measures were enough to reassure Trump’s supporters who drove from all over the state to see him, including Wendy and Steve Upcott of Clarkston, Michigan.
The couple said their 26-year-old daughter begged them not to attend the rally two hours from home, fearing for their safety in the wake of the assassination attempt. But they felt obliged to come after the shooting last weekend.
“The chances of it happening again just one week to the day later is unlikely,” said Ms Upcott.
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The Upcotts and many others in Grand Rapids were decked out in red Make America Great Again caps, along with cowboy hats, shirts and full outfits resembling the American flag. T-shirts with Trump's mug shot were for sale.
Laura Schultz said she thought about her safety Saturday morning before she decided to come to the event with a friend.
“You can’t let fear stop you,” she said.
Other rallygoers, including several young adults, said the assassination attempt pushed them to attend the Michigan rally.
It was the first Trump campaign event for Donald, a 24 year old from Grand Rapids who wore a shirt with the viral image of Trump pumping his fist after being shot.
“This is the first event after the attempted assassination. I think it’s probably going to be the most important rally,” said Donald, who declined to share his last name.
Donald said he had no fears for his own safety, because of the hundreds of police officers, including some on horse-back.
But others said they remained scared for Trump.
“It should be a concern for most Americans that he is still not safe,” Ms Upcott said.
“He needs to be very careful,” said Ms Schultz.
Other supporters expressed outrage at the US Secret Service over the incident last week. The agency has faced intense scrutiny after shooter William Crooks was able to take aim at Trump in Pennsylvania by climbing onto a roof of a building near the rally stage, even after rallygoers pointed him out to police.