One man was killed, and two more were injured during a shooting that nearly took the life of former President Donald Trump
On Saturday, July 13, an assassination attempt was made on former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump. While the politician was speaking at a rally in Butler, PA, a 20-year-old local man positioned himself on a rooftop approximately 130 yards away, armed with an AK-15.
The gunman, identified as Thomas Crooks, was able to fire multiple shots before he was stopped by a Secret Service counter-sniper. One bullet grazed Donald Trump’s ear, but he left the scene relatively unscathed.
Secret Service surrounded Trump within seconds of the shots, and he raised his fist in the air and reminded his followers to “Fight, fight, fight” before being rushed from the stage and taken to a nearby hospital.
Victims from the shooting identified
As a result of the frightening ordeal, one man lost his life, and two more were injured by stray bullets. The deceased was identified as Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old retired fire chief from Buffalo Township. According to Corey’s daughter, Allyson, her father died while protecting her from the gunfire.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro told reporters:
“Corey died a hero. Corey dove on his family to protect them last night at this rally. Corey was the very best of us. May his memory be a blessing.”
The injured were identified as 57-year-old David Dutch from New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and 74-year-old James Copenhaver, a resident of Moon Township. Both men sustained severe injuries that required immediate medical attention. Local Police reported Sunday that they were in stable condition.
A GoFundMe created in support of the victims raises millions
A fundraiser has been created by the National Finance Director and Senior Advisor for Donald Trump, Meredith O’Rourke. The initiative reads:
“President Donald Trump has authorized this account as a place for donations to the supporters and families wounded or killed in today’s brutal and horrific assassination attempt. All donations will be directed to these proud Americans as they grieve and recover. May God bless and unite our nation.”
The original goal for the fund was $1 million, but as of Tuesday morning (July 16), the total raised had surpassed an astounding $4.8 million. Among the generous donors were Elon Musk, who contributed $100,000, and Kid Rock, who gave $50,000.
In his first interview following the shooting, Trump shared his plans to contact the Comperatore family and visit the victims in the hospital.
A separate fund has also been created for Corey Comperatore’s daughter, Allyson, and can be found here.