It is still not clear who is responsible for the attack or what political beliefs they hold.

The Secret Service said the suspected shooter fired from “an elevated position outside of the rally venue”.

This makes sense: after all, getting into a Trump rally is a test of endurance – those who are not part of the accredited media generally have to wait in line for hours (and his loyal supporters gladly do) before going through a security check to ensure no weapons make it into the venue.

Fortunately, the former president is now safe. The suspected gunman is dead and, according to officials, the episode is being investigated as an assassination attempt.

There are many unanswered questions but what is clear is that this is a moment that will only ratchet up the intensity in an already fraught election year.

America has always been a fiercely fractured nation, but those divisions have heightened immeasurably over the past few years.

People now see their opponents as enemies. Many don’t trust the motives or actions of “the other side”, while ideological views are expressed through violence.

With four months until the election and just days until the Republican National Convention, this attack will reshape the contours of the race.

Trump has deliberately kept a relatively low profile since the presidential debate last month, but the convention is a key moment for the 78-year-old Republican, who will be formally announced as the party’s official candidate for the White House alongside his pick for vice presidential running mate.

Former first lady Melania Trump, who has been noticeably absent for months, is also expected to make an appearance at the highly anticipated event.

As Republicans descended on Milwaukee, the Biden campaign was set to bolster its attacks on the former president, hoping to swing focus back on Trump’s flaws after a disastrous few weeks post-debate.

Now the campaign has paused “all outbound communications” and is working to “pull down our television ads as quickly as possible”.

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Biden, meanwhile, has urged the country to unite, declaring that “there is no place in America for this kind of violence”.

But is there any escaping it?

A few months ago, shortly after a man set himself on fire outside the courtroom where I was covering Donald Trump’s trial, I dusted off my gas mask, riot gear and first aid kit – typical tools for a foreign correspondent – and popped them into my travel bag.

It felt a bit unnecessary at the time. After today, it no longer does.